Fate: OSG
by X the Reaper
Summary: It's been five years since the last Grail War. In that time, Shirou Emiya has lost much, but in return gained a new family and a dream: To become a hero of justice, just like his father. And while he will find that the path to that dream is not one easily reached, he will also realize that he will not be alone in it either. "Welcome to OSG, Shirou." (Side-story to F:ZS).
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome everyone, to the next installment of my Fate series! I am X the Reaper, and for everyone who is a new joiner or returning from my previous story, I welcome you with open arms!**

**This story takes place after the events of the epilogue of Fate: Zero Sanity, and will detail Shirou's time as a member of Ordinis Sancti Gladius, the group which appeared throughout the previous story. What changes will occur, and how will these events impact Shirou in the long run?**

**Oswald: We'll never found out if you keep talking.**

**Right. Onwards with the disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: Fate/Stay Night and all series mentioned in this story are the property of Type-Moon and their respective owners. X the Reaper owns nothing save the storyline.**

**And with that, let us begin. Welcome, my viewers, to Fate: OSG.**

* * *

_Sometimes, things happen when you least expect it._

_...I know that might seem like kind of a obvious statement, but for the life of me, I can't stress how true it really is. All my life, I've found that the more you try to prepare yourself for the worst, the more likely it's going to find you on the rare occasions that you don't prepare for it._

_I can't begin to list just how many bad things have happened in my life because I didn't expect it or didn't expect enough. Like the time I faced down an undead Cerebus that happened to be my grandfather, or when I pissed off a being who could vaporise me with just a thought, or the time I broke a promise to a talking pink pony (which happened to be the most horrifying of experiences)..._

_...I'm sorry, I'm just rambling on now, aren't I? I've found myself doing that more and more recently. Why am I even writing this down?_

_Oh yeah, a good friend of mine said it would be healthy, claimed I would be able to pass on my knowledge to the next generation so they could learn from my mistakes if I died. That's a laugh. Few could make as many mistakes as me, but I can see his point._

_Well, I guess I should start this properly by introducing myself. I was born the son of the banished crown prince of Titania (don't ask, you won't find it in any texts), raised as wielder of one of the most deadly weapons in __existence._

_I have slayed dragons, fought through the Netherworld, killed countless warriors on the battlefield, and loved one of the most beautiful women the world has ever known._

_I have died, been reborn, and offered a choice._

_I have travelled dimensions, faced beings on par with so-called 'gods', and recruited warriors from the brink of death just as I had been._

_I am the leader of one of the most powerful organizations on the face of this world, in charge of maintaining a balance of sorts between the others and defending the innocent from the planet's vengeance._

_I have gone by many titles in my time: Tool, Shadow Knight, Demon, Odette's Pet, Cousin, Husband, Boss._

_Today, I go by Edgar Silverstein._

_..._

Edgar put his pen down as he stared at the first page of his journal. With a sigh, he shut the book, putting the pen away as he went back to his desk.

"Sorry Earl, but I'm just not cut out for this sort of stuff," he muttered as he looked at the sheets his secretary, Lyn, had given him earlier. "Sentimental stuff isn't my strong suit."

Edgar was an interesting man to look at. In terms of appearance, he had the looks of a man in his early twenties, a face that most women would swoon over, that stood out in contrast to his white-grey/white-blond hair, which was styled in a somewhat spiky fashion, though mostly only in the back. He wore a black pin-striped suit with a red dress shirt, black tie, and black matching shoes. His eyes were what caught most people's attention though. The left was an emerald green while his left a golden brown.

All in all, not the appearance one would expect of a guy who commanded one of the strongest organizations on Earth.

A knock at the door distracted him. Glancing upwards, he eyed it for a moment before sighing. "Come in!"

A young man, appearing around Edgar's own age, entered the room. He had long blond hair fashioned into a ponytail and blue eyes, over which were a pair of square-framed glasses. He was wearing a black shirt, over which was a long-sleeved red jacket, beige cargo pants, and red shoes. His face was young, though it seemed somewhat aged with stress, small bags under his eyes, though it had the appearance of someone who often smiled as well. About his forehead was a plain white headband, just wide enough to cover it and adorned with two tiny pins on either side, with the first being a tiny version of some sort of logo: a golden ticket with a pink/red letter G in the center. The second pin resembled an emerald-green saber.

"Hey Edgar," the figure greeted his leader. "I see you're doing well."

"'Doing well' is subjective, Giro," he replied as he scanned the reports. "I'm trying to deal with the damn Association's half-hearted efforts to shut us down again, avoiding Zeltrech since his last favor, and now Earl's efforts to make me write about my history."

"So... standard?"

Edgar shrugged. "Fair enough. How's things going with Jeanne?" he asked in turn, referring to their newest 'otherworldly' recruit.

Giro didn't say anything, but Edgar could hear the slight shifts in his stance. "She's... doing rather well, all things considered. She appears to have fully adjusted to life within this dimension, and she seems rather happy, overall."

"Well, she's had five years," Edgar reminded him. "How are things between the two of you specifically, though?"

Giro didn't reply for a moment, but Edgar could have sworn if he saw his face, it would be turning red. "We're... doing rather well."

Now Edgar glanced up. Yup, face definitely red. "Well, that's a relief. I was afraid when I heard you two mysteriously vanished about a week ago that she had decided to try and kill you. Though why you two would be wearing a dress and suit if that was the case was beyond me..."

"Anyways!" Giro interrupted, making it clear he didn't want to continue this, "I brought you some news from Maka and Soul."

Edgar's attention was immediately on him fully, teasing tone gone. "Yeah?"

"Kiritsugu is dead," Giro replied solemnly. "Died just two days ago."

Edgar sighed and bowed his head, Giro doing the same. Kiritsugu Emiya, former Magus Killer and Master in the Fourth Holy Grail War, a secret War in which Seven Magi fought for the right to earn the Holy Grail, a wish-granting artifact, had been a former member of their group. Even if they had had a falling out in the end, he was still well-known to both of them, and they always honored a fallen comrade.

"When's the funeral?"

"Scheduled for the end of the week, three days from now." Giro replied. "When do you want them to talk to Shirou?"

Ah yes, Shirou Emiya: Kiritsugu's adopted son and the whole reason two of his agents were in Fuyuki City. Five years ago, Edgar and several others had come to Fuyuki after the end of the Fourth War to find the city in panic. A great fire had sprung up and killed hundreds of innocent people. Shirou Emiya was one of the few survivors of that disaster, taken in by Kiritsugu as his own adopted son and saved from death by use of an ancient magical item.

Edgar had promised his old comrade to train the boy, who had already begun to show signs of a desire to help others out of a sense of survivor's guilt, as a fighter, so that he would be able to help others for real, and not kill himself in the process. After all, OSG was filled with many a person who could be and had been considered 'heroes' at one point or another.

One condition though: Kiritsugu had to be dead before that happened.

"...Tell them to give the kid some time." he replied, "allow him some time to clear his head, decide what he wants to do before popping the question."

Giro raised an eyebrow. "I would have thought you would have told me to tell them to ask him now, what with the way you've been waiting for him."

Edgar rolled his eyes. "I'm not heartless, G. The kid needs time to cope, and so do Maka and Soul. They were at least somewhat close to the old fool. I'm not ruining their mourning period with an offer. There's time for that afterwards."

Giro nodded his head, but Edgar could see there was a hint of a smile on his face. "Good to see you still care about us lowly minions, sir."

"I've always cared. You just need to look hard to find it," Edgar replied, then a slight teasing tone entering his voice. "So... about you and Jeanne..."

Giro immediately turned around, though not fast enough to hide his once-again redding face. "I'm leaving."

"When's the wedding?" Edgar called after him.

"I'm done with this conversation!" Giro yelled as he shut the door behind him.

Edgar chuckled slightly, but then quickly sobered up as the significance of what Giro had told him came back to the fore. He sighed to himself as he glanced at one of the items in the room: A single-handed, straight-bladed cutlass, its basket-shaped guard, hilt, and pommel a dull gold and its grip a beautiful shade of deep blue.

"...Looks like I'll be paying an old friend a visit..."

_**Fuyuki City (Emiya Residence) {One Year Later}**_

Shirou Emiya sighed to himself as he sat down on the steps of the storehouse at the edge of the lawn, rubbing his eyes as he tried to shake the sleep out of his head. He glanced down at his watch, a gift from his mentor/friend Maka last birthday, and saw the time.

"2:30 in the afternoon?" he muttered to himself. "When did I go to bed last night?"

He glanced back inside, noticing the dust on the floor and the disturbed area that he had been resting in until just recently. He looked down at his clothes, rumpled and covered in dust. He sneezed as some of it got in his nose.

"Oh yeah, I never left..."

He had been doing this quite a lot recently, coming here just to think and work when he wasn't busy at school or training with his legal guardian and friends, and then falling asleep inside the shed.

The old building had been there for as long as he could remember; the door was faulty, the inside covered in dust, two windows were missing glass, only to be covered up with some wood, and all in all was in some real need of repair.

In other words, it was his favorite place to be at save the kitchen. It gave him a calming feeling whenever he was nearby, as if the spirit of his father was there watching him.

He sighed again. His father, or rather the only father he ever remembered having, Kiritsugu Emiya, was dead. He himself was no stranger to death, in fact, it had been the first thing his father had taught him after all: To be a Magus is to walk with death from the moment they start using magic. Even so, he couldn't accept his father was really gone.

It really was surprising, in a way. He never would have thought the last time they had a conversation would really be the last time they had a conversation, even if his father's condition had been getting worse and worse over time.

It had been so sudden too. When he saw his father just sort of slump down at the end, he had just assumed he was asleep and put a blanket over him, heading off to bed and expecting to see him in the morning. It took seeing his godmother Maiya in the morning, with tears in her eyes and standing next to a completely still Kiritsugu, for him to realize what really happened.

The few days afterwards had been a blur. He remembered talk of funeral arrangements, condolences from his friends, bits and pieces of his classes, going about his chores, schoolwork, and even training, but it really seemed like he had just been on autopilot during that time, just going through the motions.

It had only been after the funeral over a year ago had he truly seemed to come back to his senses, but even then, he tried to avoid others, only interacting when necessary. Even with his training sessions with Maiya, Maka, and Soul, where he learned how to properly shoot firearms and knife-combat from the former and sword practice/some practical magical theory from the later two, as well as something he often looked forward to ever since he was ten, he only spent a minimum of perhaps an hour or so each compared to his usual of three per each one.

He knew they were worried for his mental state, but they also knew he needed time. He was thankful to them for that, and it was that knowledge that they were still there for him, plus a few heart-to-heart talks with Soul, that allowed him to recover enough to get back to his normal routine after about a week.

Even so, for the past few months he still been somewhat distant, though no longer of grief reasons. More and more, his thoughts were turning back to the last conversation he had with Kiritsugu, of his promise to his old man: To become a hero of justice, someone who could save everyone.

He snorted, just amused at the timing of saying such a thing. "Funny that I make that promise just minutes before he dies," he muttered to himself. Picking up a stick next to himself, he eyed it for a moment, then shut his eyes.

"Trace On."

Those words were his trigger, the command that allowed him to prepare his body's magic circuits for the task at hand. At one point, they had also been his trigger for creating said circuits, temporarily and (inadvertently) converting parts of his nerves into magic circuits. The pain was like inserting a hot iron rod into his spine, and often left him drained afterwards too much to effectively practice Magecraft. Unknowingly to him, he was risking his life every time he did it, as failure would result in his body breaking down from the inside out.

This was due to him misunderstanding his father when he said in order to perform Magecraft, he would have to open his circuits. What he meant was "you need to channel Prana through your still-sleeping ones to wake them up", while Shirou thought he meant "you need to channel Prana through your body to create them". It took Maka watching him doing it, him explaining what he was doing when he collapsed in pain, and her asking Kiritsugu if that was what he was supposed to be doing before his father realized he had misinterpreted his words.

Since then, almost three years ago, he had managed to finally open his circuits at will and began training with those. He had 27 circuits in total, each capable of channeling up to 10 units of Prana without trouble and up to 25 units if he pushed to his limits, though doing so could damage them. Despite having more circuits than the average magus, which was 20, his circuits were also of far lower quality than most, so he was still with a handicap.

He mentally envisioned the hammer of a gun, cocked back and ready. As he spoke those words, it came crashing forward, signalling the firing of the gun and activation of his Circuits.

"Structural Grasp."

In an instant, a mental image of the stick appeared in his mind, almost like a blueprint of sorts. _Structural Analysis _magecraft, one of the first that Kiritsugu ever taught him. It allowed him to see whatever he was viewing as a blueprint of sorts, essentially granting him the ability to memorize every piece of its design and structure to search for flaws. He could literally create a carbon copy on paper if he so chose to, and actually had on several occasions to practice his attention to detail.

Pleased that he managed to do that without breaking a sweat, he then began the next level of his training, _Reinforcement_ magecraft, the second he had ever managed to master at least somewhat competently. This was also the magic that Maka and Soul practiced with him in terms of practicality in a fighting situation.

"Reinforcement of the weakened parts."

He began analysing the stick itself: It's components, how much of each were within it, where the flaws in its design were, and where it was at its strongest and weakest. He then slowly channelled his Prana through it, trying to fill the gaps and imperfections within it. To his disappointment, most of the Prana refused to bind with the object, but some of it did, strengthening the stick to the point it was comparable to a piece of sturdy iron._  
_

With a slow breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding, he looked down at the seemingly fine stick, wiping sweat from his brow. 'Looks like I've got some ways to go,' he thought. 'That's maybe the third thing I've ever managed to reinforce without failing or just making it explode...'

True, he had made practice swords stronger during bouts with his friends, but that was mostly because he was constantly using the same sword every time, so he had gotten used to it. The only other object he had successfully reinforced was an iron pipe, and that was due more to accident than anything else.

Looking upwards, he noticed one of the targets that he practiced his knife throwing with Maiya on laying across from him, about six feet away. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he threw the stick straight at the wooden target with all his strength. Instead of bouncing straight off, it sunk to about a quarter of its length within the three-inch thick hardwood, straight in the center bullseye.

'Well, my aim is definitely getting better,' he thought.

"Nice shot, Shirou."

Eyes widening, Shirou quickly turned around, only to relax when he saw Soul, wearing jeans, a yellow T-shirt, black jacket, and a black headband, walking towards him, hands in his pocket and usual grin plastered on his face.

"Oh, hey Soul," Shirou replied, forgoing the usage of honorifics. Maka and Soul made it rather clear from the beginning they didn't like them, and preferred that the residents of the Emiya household just refer to them by name. "I didn't know you were stopping by alone."

Soul picked one of his ears with a hand lazily, not even bothering to comment on Shirou's appearance. It was rather common these days. "Yeah, Maka's still at the library, and I got off early today from work, so I figured I'd stop by before doing something else."

Translation?: "I wanted to see if you were doing alright, so I came over by myself since Maka's working."

Shirou nodded. "That's cool, I guess."

A brief awkward silence descended on the two of them. Shirou got the distinct feeling that there was something that Soul wanted to say something, but couldn't quite figure out the words to do so.

Shirou decided to make the first move. "So... things going well with you guys?"

Soul's head snapped up. "Huh? Oh yeah, it's been great," he replied while scratching his head. "In fact, Maka and I plan on taking a vacation for a month or so. Stretch our legs a little."

"Where to?" Shirou asked, genuinely curious. Aside from occasionally disappearing for a week or two to go somewhere, Maka and Soul were two constants in his life, having been with his family almost since the beginning. He more or less considered them his older siblings, if not in blood then in spirit.

Soul shrugged. "Eh, probably back to the States. Visit some old friends, that sort of thing."

Shirou nodded. "Well, good for you two I guess."

Soul was silent for a moment, then sighed. "Actually... the reason I'm here is because Maka wanted me to ask you something..."

Shirou looked at him quizzically. "What?"

His white-haired friend scratched his head again, then answered. "Do you want to come with us?"

Shirou stopped, his planned response leaving him as he processed what was just said. Him, go with them? Out of the country?

"I know it's kinda sudden, what with everything that's happened," Soul continued, "But school's over now, and you're not really doing anything over the summer after all, so we just figured that you might want to... you know, hang out."

"I-I don't know," Shirou stuttered. "It's just all a little sudden..."

Soul shrugged. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"No, it's not that, it's just..." Shirou replied quickly, "I mean, wouldn't Maiya..."

Shirou knew his excuse was sort of flawed: Maiya was perfectly capable of handling herself, especially with Taiga around to 'help' out. He just didn't want to leave her. She was the only official family member she had left, after all, and he was somewhat (irrationally) worried something would happen to her while he was gone.

"Maka actually talked to Maiya about it already, about two days ago." Soul assured him. "She said it was fine, assuming you wanted to come." He then grinned. "Come on, Shirou, she's a grown woman. Trust me, I know that she can handle herself."

Shirou was silent for a moment longer, to which Soul decided to add something else.

"By the way, those 'old friends' I mentioned earlier?" Soul began slowly, "They might be able to help you with that little dream of yours."

Shirou immediately focused on Soul, his eyes burning with interest. "Really?" he asked slowly, his tone indicating he was smart enough not to just be suckered in by that single sentence. He had told Soul during one of their talks about what he promised Kiritsugu, and the white-haired man had just ruffled his hair playfully. _"Hey, anything's possible."_ he had replied simply.

Soul grinned. "Trust me, if there's any group on the planet who knows what it means to be heroes, it's them. Maka and I wouldn't even be here today if it wasn't for their help."

Shirou tilted his head, the desire to see this group growing stronger and stronger, but the common sense that Maiya drilled into his brain was still holding precedence. "Well..."

"Want more evidence? Kiritsugu used to be a member, according to their word."

Shirou just rolled his eyes, finally giving in to his friend's not-so-subtle prodding. "Okay, okay!" he said as he cracked a smile. "Assuming I did go, how long would I be gone?"

Soul shrugged. "The max time is two months, because that's when we're coming back here regardless, but I guess you could leave anytime earlier if you couldn't take it." He then looked at him with a grin. "What, are you seriously considering going?"

"...If what you weren't lying about what Maiya said..."

"I would never!" Soul replied indignantly, then muttered, "She'd kick my ass if I did..."

Shirou chuckled. "Then if I talk to her myself and she says 'yes'... then I guess I will."

Soul shook his head and looked towards the main house, one of his eyebrows raising. "Well, here's your chance."

Shirou followed his gaze, eyes widening as he caught sight of what his friend did. Walking towards them, wearing black pants, a black short-sleeved shirt, and and black shoes, with a small frown on her face, was Maiya Hisau herself. Aside from a few gray hairs, she hadn't changed an inch from the time when Kiritsugu had adopted him.

Suddenly, Shirou was aware of something that he should have remembered earlier. He was still covered in dust and looked like he had been sleeping outside, which wasn't really far from the truth as the shed wasn't exactly the most secure place to sleep in. If there was one thing that Maiya didn't like him really doing, it was sleeping in the shed.

"Shirou," Maiya began calmly, "What have I told you about sleeping in the shed?"

Shirou tried his best to look small under her iron gaze, scratching the back of his head rapidly. "Maiya-san... Eh heh heh... sorry?"

Soul sighed. Just a standard day at the Emiya Residence.

* * *

**And so ends the first chapter of what will hopefully be an interesting and successful experiment. As you can plainly see from the length of this, I have no intentions of making this the door stopper that the first one was. In fact, I'm hoping to finish this before June is over with.**

**Still, I have no intentions of compromising quality. I'm still giving this my best efforts!**

**Stay with me, my viewers! And remember, if you see any tropes worth mentioning about this or my previous story, please put them on TvTropes page 'Fate Zero Sanity'.**

**Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_...Alright, I'll give this one more try, but don't think I'm gonna keep doing this everytime. I won't start with my personal history either, because if you're reading this I would expect at least some knowledge of my past._

_For now, let's just start with how I got started with OSG._

_...Okay, I'm not going to go into details about my past, but I'll give a barebones version since it does lead into it. I was just a guy fighting for a cause I believed in. My foster father raised me from since I was an infant, and gifted me with the power to destroy all who stood in my way. I was to be a sword to my kingdom, a tool to be wielded in whatever way that was necessary._

_How foolish I was._

_Eventually, I learned he considered me nothing but a tool for his conquest, a weapon to aid him in gaining power he believed was denied to him despite his birthright. That knowledge briefly led me to despair as everything I had believed in was revealed to be nothing but a lie._

_However, I recovered, thanks to seeing (and I know how cliche this sounds) a small blue bird. For some reason, seeing that pristine creature flying in front of my face gave me the will to keep going._

_Eventually, after several trials and life-threatening events, I found true happiness. I married the woman of my dreams, though she originally didn't feel the same about me. In fact, it eventually resulted in me dying (long story) and her fighting through hell to get me back._

_Yeah, I was one lucky son-of-a-bitch. How many guys have a wife willing to kill the Queen of Hell to save your immortal soul?_

_Finally, we were together again and those few days we spent together were the happiest I ever had._

_Then tragedy struck._

_We were separated due to a series of events, and I was forced to fight the new King of Hell, who happened to be my grandfather turned into an undead Cerebus (and I'm dead serious when I say that). I killed him once and for all, though he managed the stab me deeply in the side, and I raced to try and find my wife, who had gone to face another great threat. I found her, and I watched as she struck down the mighty dragon who threatened to destroy the world (don't scoff, there were at least three other Armageddon-causing creatures on the loose by this time, and that dragon had to be bigger than the entire continent in length). My heart soared as her lance took it through the neck._

_My jubilation quickly turned to horror as the dragon, in its death throes, twisted around and sank its fangs into her._

_I raced forward, trying to save her. I grabbed her broken form as it plummeted to earth, desperately trying to find a way to save her, to heal the injury._

_It was in vain, and my own injury had sapped too much of my strength. I was faintly aware of someone coming to try and help us, but my fading senses had room for nothing but my wife. I held her hand as I faded, the last thing I heard being her words._

_"D-D-Don't cry..." she whispered softly, "P-Promise me... if you survive... move on... live for me and enjoy life... don't live in grief or kill yourself to join me... learn to love another... show her the same devotion and warmth you showed me..."_

_In that fading twilight between consciousness and unconsciousness, I gave my word._

_Then I knew only oblivion._

_**Fuyuki Airport (Two Days Later)**_

Shirou Emiya found himself in a rather difficult situation, one of the most dangerous in his life. His breath came in short gasps as he fought to overpower the greatest opponent he had ever faced, his muscles straining to break free and his fists clenched in concentration. He gritted his teeth, trying to resist the bone-crushing constriction that threatened to collapse his ribcage and potentially his spine. Finally, he gave up, shifting his efforts to just enduring the indescribable pain.

What was this horror threatening to kill him here and now, with no one able or willing to come to his aid?

...Taiga Fujimura's death grip of a farewell hug.

"...And remember Shirou-kun, write to me every chance you get, and bring me a souvenir while you're at it!"

"Y-Y-Yes, Fuji-nee," Shirou stammered blandly as he fought to remain conscious. "I-I'll be sure t-to bring you a souvenir..."

From the sidelines, Soul, Maiya, and Maka, who was wearing her black coat, a white T-shirt, and grey pants, watched with amusement, stoicness, and weariness respectively as the older teen more or less choked her so-called 'little brother' into a coma.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" Maka asked hesitantly. "He kinda needs to be awake to meet Mr. Silverstein..."

"Eh, it's no biggie," Soul replied, "It's almost over a 24-hour flight after all. He's got time to wake up and recover."

"Soul, I'd really rather my son to be able to get on the plane without passing out." Maiya said, coming to Maka's rescue. "Please go and help him."

Soul sighed, but he knew there was no arguing with Maiya when it came to matters involving Shirou. He got up from his seat and walked towards Shirou, who was starting to turn an unhealthy shade of blue...

"Are you sure about this?" Maka asked Maiya when he was out of earshot.

"What do you mean?" Maiya responded as she kept her eyes on Soul's efforts to free Shirou, who had seemed to gain a second wind upon seeing his friend coming and had redoubled his efforts to break free.

Maka looked down. "It's just... it's only been about two weeks since Kiritsugu passed on, and now Shirou's going away for a while, so I thought that maybe..."

Maiya turned to look at her, her own face revealing nothing. "Maka, we've known each other for over six years now. Please don't beat around the bush like I'm a little girl."

Maka's head snapped back up, Maiya's almost drill-sergeant tone at the last part getting her attention. "Well... you didn't have to let him go, if you honestly didn't want to," she admitted. "I just figured that you would want company for a while, what with everything that's been happening recently, and that taking Shirou away would cause more harm than good."

Maiya continued to stare at her. "You don't think I'm capable of handling myself?"

"I never said that!" Maka replied defensively, "I just thought you would want Shirou around for a while longer, especially since he's only really now coming out of his shell completely."

She looked down again. "I feel like we're taking him away from you when you need him most."

Maiya continued to stare, then her face soften somewhat, mouth curling into a small, sad smile. "...Thank you, Maka." The other woman's head snapped up at those words, but Maiya held up a hand indicating she wasn't done. "I understand your concern. Kiritsugu was my whole world until Shirou came into it, and with him gone, only the boy remains. I will miss him, I assure you that, and my heart is already straining to keep from ripping in two at the thought of both being separate from him and him going to where he's going."

"...But?" Maka pried, turning her attention briefly back to the others, who were currently engaged in a sort of tug-of-war as Taiga struggled, in vain, to keep her hold on the rope (i.e. Shirou) while Soul was winning, inch by inch.

Maiya sighed. "But Kiritsugu wanted him to go with you two when he was ready, and he has been ready ever since we started training him. He entrusted me with Shirou's well-being, and this is the best way to preserve it. No matter what my personal feelings, Shirou deserves at least a chance at what he's aiming to do."

"You're allowed your share of happiness too, you know."

Maiya's smile changed to full one. "Yes, but I get my share already, every time I see him safe and happy."

Meanwhile, Soul finally pulled Shirou free from the deathtrap that was Taiga Fujimura's farewell hug. Said boy was currently collapsed on the ground taking in huge breaths while Soul chastised the overeager teen, who was rubbing her head in embarrassment.

Maiya's smiled faded as she glanced down at her watch. "Well, you better get going," she said simply, "Your plane's leaving soon."

Maka looked at her own, eyes widening as she realized the truth of that statement. "Crap, you're right!"

Maiya watched some hidden amusement Maka raised towards the others, grabbing a half-recovered Shirou and almost dragging Soul with her as they raced towards the ticket confirmation area.

For a brief moment, that amusement turned to sadness as she watched them go, reflecting on Maka's last words.

_"You're allowed to your share of happiness too."_

Yes, despite what she had said, a part of Maiya still wanted Shirou to stay with her. She had grown to love the boy as her own in the years she had known him, and to watch him leave now still tugged at her heartstrings.

She shook her head and looked down. 'Since when did I become so sentimental?'

"Maiya-san?"

She looked back up at the sound of her name. To her surprise, she saw Shirou in front of her, smiling at her while Soul and Maka waited patiently a little further away (Well, Soul was. Maka was constantly glancing at her watch, likely worried at the time).

Still, she didn't allow her brief puzzlement to show. "Yes Shirou?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be going now?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but I forgot something."

"Wha-?" Maiya began, but was cut off when she felt something wrap around her waist. She looked down, realizing that 'something' was Shirou's arms, encircling her in a hug as he embraced her.

"I forgot to say goodbye for real," he said simply, smile, hidden by his current position, still on his face. "I'll miss you."

Maiya was silent for a long moment, then returned the embrace, though nowhere near the level that Taiga had given him. "I'll miss you too."

They were the perfect image of a mother and son saying farewell. They stayed that way for a few more moments, then Maiya let go. "Probably should get going now." she whispered encouragingly.

Shirou nodded, racing back towards the waiting pair with a big smile on his face, like any other thirteen-year old. The three then began moving as fast as they could without causing a scene towards the ticket confirmation area, in which they would have five minutes before boarding would start.

Maiya watched them go, this time with a genuine smile on her face.

The sound of flowing water distracted her. Turning, she saw Taiga apparently in the middle of crying a river in the center of the hallway.

"Fujimura, what are you doing?"

"I-I'm sorry, Maiya-san, but t-that was just... _so beautiful!_" She sobbed loudly. "I-I've never seen such a disp-play of love in my whole life!"

Maiya sighed, then began to drag the still-leaking Taiga out of the airport. "Sometimes, I wonder why Kiritsugu ever allowed you to stay with us, your grandfather's aid or not."

Still, she couldn't keep the small smile on her face off.

_**A Few Days Later**_

Shirou looked out the window of their car as Soul drove them down a rather unbeaten path. After they had finally arrived in the United States by way of the Birmingham International Airport in Alabama, Soul had rented a vehicle, an older model of Toyota, from somewhat fishy-looking guy in a brown overcoat despite the temperature being over 90 degrees outside, and they had been driving for several hours since, only stopping once in Montgomery for refreshments.

Not that Shirou was really complaining. After all, this was the first time he was, to his knowledge, ever outside of Fuyuki, let alone Japan itself. He was busy drinking in the sights. He found out quite quickly that outside the bustling cities, the countryside landscape was rather beautiful, filled with rolling hills interspersed with many streams and creeks.

At least, when they weren't spending half the time driving through overgrown underbrush and dense forests, which were appealing in their way despite their annoyance.

He had also adjusted quite well to the change in society, particularly the language barrier. Kiritsugu, Maiya, Maka, and Soul had been quite adamant that he learn English from a young age, so it was often spoken in conjecture with Japanese around the house to keep him well-prepared. The places he had been so far were not so dissimilar from Fuyuki, honestly: They had the same feels, sights, smells, and sounds.

"Nearly there, Shirou," Soul called from the front. "Just a little longer."

Shirou's eyes glanced over the first town sign they had passed since leaving Montgomery two hours ago. It was really old and worn, simply saying **CAZADOR, ALABAMA, POPULATION 734**. The town itself looked more like a village really. There were a few small stores, a Baptist Church directly across from an Orthodox one, and a scattering of old houses, all of which were rather old and weathered looking.

Shirou originally assumed they were going to either keep on going on the main road or just stop here, but instead, Soul turned onto a small, barely paved road through some more hills and into even deeper woods. The path branched at several points, but Soul just kept going west for about two more miles.

Shirou was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to get there when they suddenly turned onto a gravel turnoff. It was then that he got his first indication that they were near wherever it is they were going.

In front of them was a small sign with a green smiley face on it, underneath of which were the faded letters 'OSG'. The smiley face also had horns on it. As they drove past it, Shirou couldn't help but turn his head to keep looking.

When he finally turned back around, he sat quietly, listening to the bumping noise on the gravel road and taking note of other signs, saying things like **NO TRESPASSING, TRESPASSERS WILL BE SHOT, NOT LIABLE FOR ANY INJURIES OCCURRING TO INTRUDERS.**

"...I guess your friends don't like strangers much, huh?" Shirou somewhat joked.

Maka shrugged. "I guess you could say that."

Soul just chuckled.

Finally, they came up to an open gate with high chain link and razor wire. A person sat in a folding chair near the gate reading a book with an umbrella overhead to block out the sun. Still, he seemed rather alert, as he was waving goodnaturedly to them even before Soul stopped and rolled down the window.

He was a rather plain-looking person, the kind that you could pass three times a day and not once realize it was the same person unless you were actively trying. He looked to be about in his late thirties, red hair cut short but still effectively covering his head. His brown eyes were filled with warmth, and the slight stubble on his face didn't really stand out much. He was clad in military-grade camo pants, with a white T-shirt labeled with that same green smiling face from earlier, complete with horns, and brown working boots. A green cap hung rightways on his head, and if he was carrying that rifle he had propped up next to his chair and a similarly-colored jacket to match his pants, Shirou would have sworn he was some sort of wild-game hunter.

The not-hunter in question laughed a little bit as he got closer, reaching up with one of his hands in a gesture of welcoming. "Soul! Maka!" he greeted them as if they were the best of buddies. "Welcome back! It's been a while!"

Soul laughed as held out his own, the two clapping their hands together with relish and good cheer. "Hey Milo!" Soul responded with a smile. "You're looking good! Guard duty been working out?"

"You have no idea, man." Turning his attention to Maka, he held out his hand again, nodding as Maka returned the gesture with a smile on her face. "And I see you two been doing well."

"Quite well, Milo. Thank you."

Shirou stayed respectfully silent and out of sight, knowing that it would be rude to interrupt. It would appear that Soul wasn't lying, though Shirou never doubted, that these people were indeed friends with them.

'And with Father too?'

Milo finished his greetings with a sigh, pulling his arm back to look at the two of them closely. "So, what's the sudden return about?"

In answer, Soul just looked behind himself at Shirou, who realized this was his cue. He shifted his position, allowing Milo to get a good glimpse at him for the first time. Milo just raised an eyebrow. "Well, this is interesting."

Shirou held out a hand slowly in greeting, trying to quash the nervous butterflies in his stomach as he did so. He thought about using his normal way of bowing, but decided that this person would respond better to just a handshake. "H-Hello, I'm Shirou Emiya. Pleased to meet you, Mr..."

A grin spread across Milo's face as he took his hand into his own. "Jones. Milo Lee Jones. It's a pleasure."

Shirou nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Jones."

Milo let go and laughed a little. "'Mr. Jones'? Darn Soul, I'm liking this kid more and more already!" His face sobered up a little bit. "So I take it you're..."

"Yup," Maka replied. "Edgar just wants to talk is all."

Shirou only half-paid attention to Maka's words. On the ride here, she had already explained that when they got there, a man named Edgar, who was more or less the leader, would want to speak with him personally. According to her, he always did it with anyone coming here, just to see what they were like. It made sense to Shirou; after all, you wouldn't want someone dangerous or crazy being around others.

Milo was silent for a moment, then shrugged. "Then I wish you luck, kid." A grin found its way back onto his face. "Hope to see you again soon!"

He walked over to the gate, unlocking it and motioning for them to go through.

"...He was nice." Shirou said simply as they did so, driving up to the compound ahead of them.

The property was filled with movable trailers and mobile homes parked all over, and it was surprisingly organized for so many different shaped structures. The main building appeared to be the only permanent structure though, made of solid heavy brick and steel. It was a large office building, but with narrow windows, obviously thick walls, and iron bars. It looked like it could pass as a fortress if given the need.

Quite honestly, Shirou expected there to be a vat of boiling oil over the entrance and hidden machine gun turrets dotting the entire property around the building itself. The whole place almost felt like a high-grade military facility.

Maka seemed to sense his amazement and curiosity. "I know, I thought along similar lines when I first saw this place. I was certain there were rocket launcher-holding members hidden on top of every building."

"And you have friends here?" Shirou asked as he continued to take in the sights.

"Yeah, and while you'll find that not everyone inside is quite as open or friendly to strangers as Milo is, they're all decent people at heart." Soul added as he parked the vehicle. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. First, you need to see Edgar."

_**OSG Headquarters (Basement)**_

Edgar Silverstein sighed to himself as he exited the room that contained his greatest failure since becoming leader. While part of him knew that what had happened wasn't completely his fault, he had known no more than and underestimated the threat just as everyone else had, it still didn't absolve him of the guilt he felt for letting it happen regardless.

Even after over twenty years, coming down here made that dagger of regret pierce his heart anew and just as hard every time.

However, he owed the occupant in the room more than enough to let her know, even if she probably couldn't hear him, that her partner, the man who saved her from a fate worse than death, was dead.

He glanced down at his watch, noticing the date. His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "I've been down here for over two weeks?"

The way he said it made it sound like he more confused in 'I-thought-it-would-take-maybe-a-day' way rather than 'Oh-my-God-what-I-have-been-doing-down-here-for-two-weeks'. He didn't feel any different, aside from a slight thirst and some hunger pangs.

It was a rather common occurrence, actually. Time always seemed to flow differently within that room than outside of it ever since the being within was placed there. Perhaps it had something to do with the occupant's mind exerting some control over the surroundings, a shadow of her formerly unbelievably powerful, albeit insane, reality-warping abilities at work. It would certainly explain the occasional feeling of being watched on all sides.

Still, the time changes were usually anything from just a few hours to at most three days. They were never so long in all the time he had come down here. Even when he had come down here a year ago to tell her about her partner's death, he had only spent maybe a day or so down here.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that his child was now potentially joining?

He glanced back at the room, eyes narrowing in contemplation. 'Maybe I spoke too soon when I thought she couldn't hear me...'

Suddenly, he heard his phone ringing. Fishing in his pocket, he quickly pulled the device out and held it to his ear, already mentally preparing for the shouting fest that awaited him at the other end.

It wasn't quite enough.

_"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!?" _Lyn raged over the other end, so loudly that holding the phone at arm's length made it sound just like she was yelling at him to the face. _"DO YOU REALIZE YOU ALMOST HAD EVERYONE IN A PANIC!? I HAVE HALF A MIND TO KICK YOU IN YOUR..."_

Edgar just waited as she described in rather graphic detail the terror she intended to inflict on him, both on his conventional and private areas, when she saw him again, wincing now and then at a particularly nasty one. "I'm fine, Lyn," he replied calmly when there was a lull in her shouting. "I was just seeing an old friend and lost track of the time."

He heard what seemed to be halfway between a gasp and a cough as she stopped whatever new insult or rant she was about to release, settling for clearing her throat for a few seconds as she gathered her thoughts. _"Oh... well, in that case... I suppose it went well?" _she asked, her voice a sharp contrast to its earlier tone, now questioning and tinged with some slight concern.

"...Yeah," he replied simply, then abruptly changed gears, not wanting to dwell too long on his visit. "Anyways, what do you need to talk to me about?"

_"That Shirou kid that you wanted to see? He's here now with Maka and Soul."_

Edgar blinked. "Now? As in 'right there, right now' now?"

_"Yup!"_ she replied with cheeriness that he couldn't quite tell if it was fake or genuine. _"They're currently just looking at me funny after my whole ranting bit to you, and I got to say, their looks are priceless!"_

He sighed. "I'll be right there, just hold on." He placed the phone back in his pocket, rubbing his head. He completely forgotten about that little meeting, though he had been expecting just a little more time to prepare, like a few days, not a few minutes.

"Damn it, Sayaka," he muttered. "You could have at least let me have some time to prepare for the son of your partner's arrival. I would have made it fittingly dramatic."

He looked back at the door he had exited, only to see a blank wall. Figures. The moment he wanted to give her a piece of his mind, she locks the door on him.

"Fine, I'll just have to improvise," he muttered quietly as he speed-walked up the stairs back to the ground floor, pulling his phone back out to make a call. Looks like he would need Giro to play distraction for him. "Don't blame me when things go wrong though!" Some might find it strange to be talking to apparently nothing, but despite Sayaka's condition, she was still alive and a member, and he would treat her with the same respect regardless if she could really hear him.

The wall behind him just remained impassive as he left.

However, it did seem to glow with a brief flash of blue as shut the basement door behind him.

* * *

**Hmm, not much to say really, aside from the short chapters.**

**This fic's actually a bit of an experiment for myself in addition to being story tie-in. I'm testing my ability to write shorter chapters while still providing sufficient entertainment for the viewers.**

**So yeah, once again, tell me what you thought in reviews!**

**(Also, I've recently started playing BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II for the 3DS, and I've got to say, it'****s awesome. Even though I've only really just gotten into it, I'm already thinking of putting one or two of its characters into the fifth War.)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_...Now, some shit happened in-between my oblivion and me meeting Zeltrech, but let's leave it at: I got a chance to bring my wife back, and I would just have to fight and kill six other ancient heroes in order to make it happen._

_Now, I know that I promised my wife I would move on, but I just couldn't do it. My heart felt like it had been ripped in two by what had happened, and everything seemed to have lost some of its color without her. I won't deny that I jumped at the chance to bring her back; I was desperate. Even if it meant killing six other innocent people, but hey, they too were fighting for that miracle and were just as willing to kill as me, so I considered it fair play._

_Put simply, none of us got it. The miracle was destroyed, and I was the sole survivor. In that moment, covered in the remains of the miracle, I was consumed with despair and would have gladly taken my own life. In fact, I had my sword at the ready to stab through my gut, with only my wife's last request holding me back._

_I was interrupted by what would become a familiar face._

_"Well, this is a peculiar sight." _

_**OSG Headquarters (Outside Training Grounds)**_

It really was a beautiful day in Alabama. There was hardly a cloud in the sky; it was all just one large sea of sky-blue, only broken by the bright disk called the sun. A light breeze flowed through the camp, adding a calming feel to the place whilst simultaneously providing relief to any suffering under the sun's heat. Basically, it was the textbook-perfect summer's day.

Unfortunately, this beauty was lost upon one Shirou Emiya, who was currently in the process of picking himself off the ground after a particularly painful practice/testing session.

"Oh! Uh... sorry about that," his tormentor/tester said with no small amounts of pity as he reached down with his hand, "I might have went a bit overboard with that last bit."

Shirou looked up, grasping the offered hand, and got back to his feet, wobbling slightly. "No... problem, Mr. Giro," he panted. "It's fine..."

With lightning-fast movement, he brought the wooden practice sword in his right hand up and swung down on his opponent with both hands, who just barely caught it on his own weapon. Giro's face split into a grin.

"Good reflexes, especially for someone so young," he admitted, "If I wasn't used to every other recruit doing that to me, that definitely would have gotten me."

Shirou didn't say anything for a moment, having put all of his remaining energy into that last strike and was now leaning on his sword. "Why... am I doing this... again?" he panted tiredly.

"Part of your initiation, remember?" Giro reminded him. "Edgar wanted to see what you could do before he talked to you in person."

"Maka... never said anything... about that," he replied.

Giro shrugged, remembering Edgar's frantic phone call of simply, _"Stall the little bugger!"_ "Eh, it's a recent thing."

"Then... where was Mr. Silverstein during our match?"

Giro reached into his pocket and pulled out a spare pair of glasses, his previous one lying on the ground broken from one of Shirou's successful strikes. He had to admit, Maka and Soul had trained the boy well. He had the skills and abilities of someone several years his senior, and could probably win several sword-wielding competitions if he was so inclined.

Of course, Maka and Soul, while obviously well-trained fighters in their own right, weren't exactly masters of the sword themselves, and Shirou's abilities reflected that. While he had certainly been harder to defeat than most first-timers, it had been no contest once Giro got halfway serious.

Still, there was definitely potential. Anyone who could land more than five hits on him and break his glasses in the process was proof of that.

"He was..." he glanced up at the office building, his eyes drawn to the window to the room that held the leader of OSG. He caught sight of a green piece of cloth being pressed to the glass. Translation: _Almost ready__. _"...getting ready for your face-to-face talk. And either way, I think I'm more than qualified to appraise your abilities in combat."

Shirou nodded, having recovered enough to stand up without leaning on his sword like a crutch, though he was still breathing hard. Giro sighed and walked away for a moment, grabbing two bottles of water and tossing one to his trainee. Shirou grabbed it gratefully and started to drink slowly, remembering what Maiya had once told him about drinking too fast after exercise. Giro, who had only barely broken a sweat, simply sipped his water.

"Well, you've obviously got skill with the sword," he finally said, gesturing towards several targets in the distance. "Now let's see if your aim's any better."

_**Edgar's Office**_

Maka and Soul were silent as they watched Edgar tear around his office, quickly stacking loose papers, straightening decorations and shutting filing cabinets. Every so often, he would just stop and look around, then rush to another area and fix that as well.

Sometimes, with the contrast between his calm moments and what he was doing now, they wondered if there were really two Edgar Silversteins wandering around.

"Is this really necessary?" Maka asked finally. "You're just talking to him after all."

"I must keep up appearances," Edgar stated simply as he shut the last filing cabinet. "I can't have recruits knowing I'm a bit of a slob until after they've joined." He then moved towards the wall, centering a small picture of the compound back in 1900. "I still don't understand how my office can get so cluttered when I'm only gone for two weeks."

They didn't bother to ask. When they had first arrived inside the main building, they had been greeted by Lyn at the desk, who had been rather happy to see them again after their last visit. She had also responded rather warmly to Shirou, which mostly consisted of her not saying anything remotely rude to his face, though that could have been because he had acted friendly towards her first.

When they told her they needed to see Edgar though, she got a mostly annoyed, slightly concerned look on her face when she told them no had seen him in two weeks. They had just been about to leave when Lyn stopped them and said his phone was back on the signal again, telling them she would call him up.

That resulted in about a minute or so of just staring as Lyn went from raging over the phone to worried to calm to cheerful. Then she put the phone down and told them that he would be there soon.

Then Giro came in about three minutes later and said Edgar had just called him to test Shirou's skills out. After some hesitation, Shirou went with him.

Finally, five minutes after that, Edgar arrived and said he would talk to Shirou once his office was set up.

That was almost ten minutes ago.

Which lead them to where they were now: Waiting for Edgar to finish his whole cleaning spree while Shirou was getting his skills 'tested' by Giro. Not that they were worried for their friend; of all the people in the compound to be in charge of evaluating Shirou's abilities, they would have recommended Giro anyways. He was a fair, kind, and impartial person, and, unlike some of the other members, was rather level-headed and lacking in terms of mental instability. If anyone could ensure his safety, it would be him.

Soul moved to the window and looked out of it. From the window's view, he was given a useful view of the outside training grounds, which made sense, as it was always smart to be able to tell if fights were taking place.

"Well, how are they doing?" Maka asked from her sitting position near the main desk. She would have gone over herself, but the window was too narrow for two people to look out of it at once comfortably... or without scrunching up to each other in a rather suggestive way.

Soul narrowed his eyes slightly as he tried to make it out. "...Well, it looks like they've moved on to the nearby firing range. I guess they finished the swordfight bit."

"That's good," Edgar replied simply as he put away the spare knife in its place under the desk. "I guess I can afford to eat something fast before they come back."

"Are you serious?" Soul asked as he turned back from the window, only to see the white-haired man was now munching down on a sugar cookie from a nearby bin on his desk. "Do you just pull this on every new recruit?"

"'Ey, I wa' h'ping 'or a 'w d'ys 'fore you 'ame al'ng," Edgar replied as he munched on his treat, then swallowed. "But I got sidetracked by something I had to do, so I had to improvise." He was silent for a few moments, then snapped his fingers.

"Oh, I'm sorry, where are my manners?" he inquired as he lifted the bin off his desk, holding out towards the two of them. "Go ahead, take a few."

Soul obliged first, taking three and biting into them with gusto. Maka was a bit more restraint, but took two anyways, nibbling away at them.

"Besides, there's another reason I did this anyways," Edgar added. "I want to know what you two think of him, as well as what he thinks of you two."

Maka looked at him weirdly. "What does it matter about what he thinks of us?"

"Just humor me," Edgar replied with a serious expression. "Does he think of you both as just teachers, or something more?"

The two were still confused by this line of questioning, but answered truthfully.

"He thinks of us as friends, the closest ones he has," Maka answered.

"We're practically his older siblings," Soul added. "We actually had to stop him early on from referring to us Oniisan and Oneesan."

"So he cares about you? Genuinely cares about you both and helps you around with your own work?"

The two looked at each other for a moment, then answered truthfully. "Yeah, he does," Soul replied. "In fact, whenever he's not sleeping, doing schoolwork, training, eating, or helping Maiya, he's usually spending it with me in the shop or with Maka in the library. He's more or less our assistant."

"Does he ask for anything in return?"

"Not really," Maka answered. "I onced asked him, since he helps so much around the library that he's practically the new assistant librarian, if he would like to receive a sort of part-time pay. He declined the offer, and wouldn't accept it no matter how much I brought it up."

"Same with me," Soul added. "It's like he considers the act of helping payment enough sometimes."

"Does he ship you two getting married?"

Soul and Maka just stared at him, though a slight blush did creep onto both of their faces. "That's none of your business," they said simultaneously.

"So he does..." Edgar continued regardless, then shook his head. "Ah well, I'm not one to rush a relationship. You two take as long as you need to."

"When did this turn to us?" Soul muttered with annoyance. Maka just rolled her eyes at their leader's antics.

"Speaking of which, just hypothetically, if you were offered the chance to go back to your world in one year's time, could you bear leaving the lives you made here behind?" Edgar asked, his voice becoming serious once again. "Could you bear leaving him behind forever?"

The two of them were silent with surprise at the sudden turn the conversation, then they looked at each other. The opportunity to go back home. In all that had happened in the six years that they had been here, the idea of going back to their old friends and family had been but an occasional fantasy. They had completely forgotten that the time was nearing that they could go back if they desired, to see everything and everyone who they had left behind.

The sheer idea was almost enough to make them say yes.

However, they had long ago come to terms with the fact that their old friends and family had moved on with their lives. Moreso, they both remembered the times they had spent with the Emiyas, as well as occasionally taking missions for OSG. They especially thought of how Shirou looked up to both of them as role models and pillars of support.

Could they be so selfish as to deprive him of that? Leave him only with Maiya and Taiga as company?

"...No," Maka replied quietly, yet firmly. "I guess we've become as attached to him as he as to us."

Soul nodded in response.

Edgar flashed them a small smile. "...That really hits me where I live, you know? But back to the matter at hand..." he then said as he abruptly shifted gears, "What do you two think of him specifically? If you had to describe his personality in one word, what would it be?"

They answered without hesitation. "Stubborn."

Edgar raised an eyebrow in questioning. "Stubborn," he repeated, "In what way?"

"As in when he sets his mind to accomplish something, he doesn't stop trying," Soul replied. "He's like a stampeding bull. It's going to keep going until it decides to stop. Put a wall in front of him, he'll plow through it. Put a canyon in front of him, he'll try to jump it."

"You should have seen him on the first day of training when he was just ten," Maka picked up, "Even though we were going easy on him, no matter how many times he got knocked down, he kept picking the wooden sword up and trying again. We almost went a whole hour and a half before he was practically soaking the floor and his clothes in sweat, and even then, the only reason he stopped was because he was too tired to lift the sword, not because he wanted to."

"I assume the same applies to his magecraft?"

"Continually practices with the same main three everyday for the past three years: Structural Analysis, Reinforcement, and Projection," Maka continued. "And even those still have quite the level of improvement to go through. He hasn't even managed to create a halfway-decent Projection yet. Still keeps on going though."

"...So, if I was to guess his personality based on everything you've told me, he's a boy with a bit of hero's complex, willing to help people whenever he sees them in need for the sake of helping them, without any thought of personal gain, and he's as stubborn as a mule when it comes to accomplishing those things and defending his principles, willing to go as far as necessary and break his limits to achieve those dreams? Essentially, the perfect ideal of a 'protector of justice'?"

They nodded. It was a rather accurate assumption to make.

Edgar sighed, then scratched the back of his head. "...Alright then. Thanks for that, both of you." He then brought out his cellphone. "I'm gonna call Giro, tell him to bring the kid in. It's time I meet this 'hero' face-to-face for the first time in six years."

_**Giro and Shirou**_

Giro squinted his eyes as the last shot left Shirou's pistol to impact with the paper target, taking his ear plugs out as he did so. He absently noticed Shirou place the practice weapon back in its place, slide up and pointed away from either of them, and then turn towards him, removing both his shooting goggles and ear plugs.

"So... how did I do?"

Giro didn't answer at first, simply walking over to the target in question and giving it a look. "Well Shirou... I'd say you did awesome."

Shirou had been given the standard practice pistol for younger members: A customizable Glock designed with less kickback and smaller than the standard, containing a twelve-round magazine for .22 LR rounds with one in the chamber. His target had been the standard bullseye: Nothing special, just a twelve-ring target with the seven outermost rings white, the inner four grey, and the center bright red.

Shirou had managed to group all but four rounds in the bullseye, and those misses had because he needed to get a feel for the weapon. After that, it had been clockwork.

"How'd you get so good?" Giro asked as he admired the small grouping. "You must have practicing for a long time."

"It was the first thing I learned how to do, even before using the sword," Shirou responded. "Maiya-san was very adamant that I learn how to fight someone off from a distance before getting up close and personal."

Giro nodded. "Pretty good advice."

They were interrupted by the sound of ringing. Giro looked down, then fished into his pocket for his phone, pulling it out and opening it up. He placed it to his ear.

"Yeah?"

There was silence as Shirou simply watched the blond man listen to whoever was on the other end, though he could hazard a guess as to who it was.

Finally, the silence was broken when Giro nodded. "Alright, we're on our way." He put the phone, then turned to Shirou, a smile gracing his features.

"Well, you're in luck Shirou. The big man's ready to talk."

_**Edgar's Office**_

The intercom buzzed, Lyn's voice coming in clear over it. "Yo Edgar," she called, "They're coming on up."

"Thank you Lyn," he answered. "Your warning is much appreciated."

Maka then looked at him. "You want us to be here while you talk?"

Edgar stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. "If it's not to much of a bother, I would rather it be just between myself and Shirou. I prefer it that way, but you can stay if you really want to."

They were silent for a moment, then Soul broke it. "C'mon Maka," he said, "Shirou's old enough to handle himself."

Maka was silent for a few seconds longer, then nodded. "You're right, he doesn't need us for every step of the way."

She stood up, moving towards the door. Soul proceeded to follow, but was stopped by Edgar as soon as Maka shut the door behind her.

"By the way, Soul, when are you gonna really propose? I've already seen the ring, and quite a beautiful one at that."

Soul's face turned the same color as his eyes. "When did you-"

"It was stored in your locker on site for a few weeks before you moved it with you back to Fuyuki," Edgar answered simply, a grin finding its way back onto his face. "I might have accidentally stumbled upon it during a routine inspection while it was here."

"If you've told her or anyone..."

Edgar raised his hand. "Not another soul knows about it but me. Seriously though, how long are you gonna put it off?"

Soul made to answer, but was interrupted by a knock on the door, which opened slightly to show Giro looking in. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Just some bonding time between employer and employee," Edgar stated simply.

"I'm just gonna go," Soul muttered quietly, opening the door fully to pass through. "Good to see you again, Giro."

"And to you too Soul," Giro responded as he passed him by, then looked down to his side. "Well, he's your moment."

Edgar watched with a stony mask as the red-headed boy from five years ago slowly entered the room, taking in the sights as Giro shut the door behind him. He watched as Shirou's eyes finally focused on him, the yellow orbs briefly flashing confusion, then slowly widening in recognition.

"You're that guy..." he breathed slowly, "the guy from the hospital..."

Edgar, for his part, allowed a small smile to flash onto his face as he held out his hand in greeting.

"Hello Shirou Emiya, it's been awhile."

_**Outside the Room**_

Soul and Giro found themselves walking down the hall back towards the reception area, talking to each other as they did so.

"So, how'd things go with Shirou's whole 'practice' bit?" Soul asked. "I know that Edgar just did it to buy himself some time, but still, how'd he do?"

Giro smiled slightly. "It would have ultimately happened either way, since we would need to get a feel for how good he is, but to answer your question, he did excellent. Aced the shooting exam, showed rather passable skill in the sword exam."

"'Passable'?" Soul asked with some level of indignation in his voice. "We've been training the kid since he was ten, and you say he has 'passable' skill with a sword? He can hold his own against Maka and me just fine."

"Maka's not a swordsman," Giro reminded him, "And while you can use a sword to an extent, you prefer to just let Maka wield you in battle and thus never really practiced. I could beat both of you at the same time in a straight-up fight with swords."

"...Fair enough," Soul grumbled.

"To be fair to the kid, he's certainly more capable than most newbies," Giro consoled. "He actually forced me to take him half-seriously when he broke my glasses and landed five hits on my person."

Soul flinched. "I'm surprised you didn't try and go all-out on the poor guy."

Giro shrugged. "I considered it, but I let it slide."

Soul opened the door that led down the stairs to the lobby. "By the way, how have things been around here?"

"The usual: Lyn's been yelling over the intercom, Starrk's been mopping floors, Anderson and Enhance are on a hunting trip, Earl's been shaping up some rookies, Logan's... I don't know where he's been recently actually, Chryssie's been sneaking around as usual, Trixie's trying to prepare the papers in case that hunting trip I mentioned goes sour in some form, the Reds and Blues have finally gone back to their home dimension..."

"Wait, wait, wait..." Soul said as they stopped on the stairs, "Sarge, Simmons, Grif, Donut, Church, Tucker, Caboose, Doc, T, Washington, Carolina? They all went back?"

"Yeah, I was surprised too." Giro replied. "One day they were here, then the next... poof! Edgar comes in and tells us they've gone back to their original dimension."

"...But you guys said that the method that you used to recruit members meant you couldn't go back, even if you wanted to."

"Apparently, whatever happened involved them, an experimental teleporter by Sarge, and a crate full of strange purple crystals that one of them had picked up somewhere called 'Dust'. An accident because of Caboose, several bright flashes, and a big explosion later, they're all gone, the teleporter's a twisted piece of metal, and there's not a single speck of Dust anywhere. Heck, the only reason we know they weren't blown to smithereens is because Sarge and Church managed to send us a line through what was left of the teleporter telling us that they were back home and we shouldn't worry."

"That doesn't sound like Church at all."

"Probably because Wash was the one who told them what to say."

"You didn't try to bring them back?"

"We would have, if Wash hadn't been so adamant about leaving them there and the teleporter didn't spontaneously explode upon the message's finish. We didn't have anything left to replicate the events that led to what happen, so Edgar honored Wash's final words to them and left them be."

"But if Church's gone, doesn't that mean you can't use your..."

"Luckily for me, Church had abandoned the device about a day earlier, something about wanting to stretch his legs for a few days. I can still use it if I want to," Giro replied, then sighed. "I'm gonna miss the little bugger though, annoying prick that he could sometimes be."

"Yeah, Church had that effect on people."

The walk down the stairs continued in relative silence. Then Soul turned back to his companion. "So, how's Jeanne been?"

"She's been fine, though she prefers to go by Laeticia in public now, out of respect for... you know."

Soul nodded. He was aware of Jeanne's history more than most of the other members; heck, Maka and he hadn't become members long after she herself had, and they both sympathized with the French warrior, both for what had happened to her and what she had lost. It was partly for this reason, as well as an uncanny resemblance a friend of their own, that both Maka and himself had tried to form a bit of a bond with her whenever they were on site.

The results? ...Well, while she never flat-out called them friends, she was noticeably warmer to them than most of the others members of OSG, though even they were treated with respect and cordiality. In fact, her current state was a vast improvement over the cold, somewhat-distant woman who had originally graced the halls.

In fact, Soul realized, the person who most of that improvement could be attributed to would be the one walking alongside him. She always seemed to be at her happiest whenever she was near Giro for some reason, which was sort of funny since the first time he ever saw them in the same room together, she had just punched him in the face.

Speaking of which...

"...What is the story between you two anyways?"

Giro looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that I've been hearing weird rumors lately that you two have been-"

They were interrupted by the sound of laughter from the lobby, hearable due to being just a door away from their position at the bottom of the stairs. Abandoning whatever direction the conversation was about to take, they both walked forward and opened the door to the lobby.

They were greeted to the sight of Lyn, Maka, and a third woman laughing at some sort of joke, the later two with hands over their mouths to try and stifle their amusement while Lyn was just sprawled out on her chair laughing out loud without a care in the world.

Maka was the first to notice the two newcomers. "Oh hey Soul, Giro," she greeted them. "How's Shirou doing?"

The two men shrugged. "He's doing alright, last we saw," Giro replied. "I wouldn't worry."

Soul's gaze, on the other hand, was on the third woman in the room. She was wearing a short-sleeved white dress shirt,, a sky-blue tie, jeans, and white shoes, and about her neck was a silver cross. Her hair was a golden-blond, long and braided behind her, and her eyes were a deep shade of purple.

In fact, aside for the older appearance, different colored eyes, longer hair, and a noticeably larger set of... assets, she was the spitting image of a friend both Maka and he had made not long before meeting her.

A friend who, because of a grave misunderstanding and events beyond their control, died by their hands.

Said woman turned her gaze towards him, a friendly smile still on her face. "Hello Soul, it's been awhile," she said cordially as she held out her hand towards him.

He responded with his own, shaking her hand firmly. "Good to see you too, Jeanne."

"Hey Soul!" Lyn called, catching both of their attentions, "You should have heard this hilarious joke Jeanne just told us about what happened during her date with Giro three weeks ago! It was great!"

Soul cast a quick glance towards Giro, who had started to blush again slightly, then to Jeanne, who also had a small blush.

'Well, that answers _that_ question...' he thought before saying aloud, "So, I guess you two are an item now? When did that happen?"

Jeanne and Giro looked at each other, then turned towards him. "Well..." Jeanne began, "It started around..."

_**Edgar's Office**_

Shirou Emiya and Edgar Silverstein simply stared at each other across the desk, both waiting for the other to say something. For Shirou, it was for Edgar to follow up on his whole greeting bit. For Edgar, it was to just hear Shirou say something back.

This silence quickly changed to awkwardness as neither spoke for the next thirty seconds... then a minute... then two minutes...

Edgar was the one who finally broke it, coughing into his hand. "...Alright, I suppose true introductions are in order now," he stated simply as he held out his hand in greeting. "Edgar Silverstein, head of the illustrious OSG that you've no doubt heard so much about recently."

Shirou responded by slowly reaching out and shaking the offered hand. "Shirou Emiya, son of Kiritsugu Emiya."

Edgar nodded slowly. "Hmm... yes, I can see the resemblance. In fact, it's so similar it's almost scary."

Shirou just looked at him with a confused expression. Even the most drunk person in Fuyuki could tell that Kiritsugu and he weren't related by blood; the hair and eyes alone being so radically different that it was obvious from a glance, and that wasn't even going into the lack of similar facial features.

Edgar rolled his eyes. "I meant the look in your eyes," he clarified. "It's the spitting image of the man who was once a proud member of this group, before he decided that he couldn't achieve his dream here and left."

"Why?" Shirou was genuinely curious. If Kiritsugu was truly a member, then why did he leave? It was obvious that Soul and Maka were members, yet they didn't seem to mind it really. In fact, Maka told him that it was because of Edgar that they were able to start up a life in Fuyuki in the first place.

Edgar's face briefly changed to one of both sadness and nostalgia. "It's not my place to say right now, but let's leave at your father and I had a falling out over a mistake I made and he resigned as a result."

Shirou wanted to ask more, but Edgar's tone made it clear that door was shut for now. So, he turned to his next question. "Why do you want me as a member?"

"Why?" Edgar repeated, then leaned back in his chair. "Well, from what Soul and Maka have told me all about you, you're a stubborn boy with a hero's complex who can't avoid trying to help others. You refuse to compromise on your principles, whatever they might be, and you have a tremendous case of survivor's guilt over being one of, if not the only, survivors of the Fuyuki Fire."

Shirou was just silent as he listened to Edgar.

"Most of all, you're the adopted son of an old friend. Is it any wonder I would want to take a potential hero-in-the-making under my wing, just to make sure he doesn't get killed doing something stupid?"

At this, Shirou grew indignant. "Hey, I've had training!"

"Yes, but two of those teachers happen to be people I sent to Fuyuki to watch over you and make sure you were ready for this," Edgar countered. "And while you're certainly better off than most people your age, you've got a long way to go to become a 'hero of justice'."

Shirou's expression briefly changed to one of confusion at those words. Edgar rolled his eyes. "What? You've been raised by a man who once dreamed of being the same thing and you have a hero's complex with all the selflessness that comes with it. How could you not try and become such a thing?"

He then stood up from his desk. "But the path of such a person is not one to tread lightly. To become such a being, you must do so knowing that there will be times you can't save everyone, no matter how much you desire. There will be sacrifices that must be made, and people will die no matter how hard you try."

The boy seemed to flinch under his words, especially at the complete 180 change in tone, but Edgar hardened his heart. It was a harsh lesson, but one that Edgar needed to get through to Shirou. Better he understand this now while his dream was still freshly planted than some years down the road and have a total breakdown like Kiritsugu did when it as it was slowly uprooted.

His voice grew hard and serious. "But more importantly, do you understand what it truly means to be a hero, in this day and age?"

Shirou fidgeted for a moment under Edgar's intense gaze, then answered. "To save others," he replied, "To fight for the sake of others and protect them."

Edgar let out a low laugh, one that had Shirou flinching once again. "Yes, I will not deny that, but to be the hero you speak of, one who destroys the monsters that persist even to this day, means to **kill**. It means fighting for the sake of others, true, but it is still fighting, and that means killing. To save someone, you must kill another."

Shirou frowned. "I'm not stupid, you know. I know that much: To save someone, I'll need to learn to fight and kill a monster."

Edgar shook his head. "I never insinuated you were stupid; I was simply pointing out your naivety. If you know that to save someone you must kill another, what will you do when it's another human being who needs to be killed?"

Shirou looked at him in confusion. "What? Can't I just knock them out?"

The loud guffaw had him flinching. "Knock out? Oh, if the world was that simple. Against normal humans, even ones with weapons? I suppose with enough training you can succeed, even if you must resort to magic to do so. But you also understand that you just can't flaunt your Magecraft to the world, unless you would doom whoever it is you were trying to save, along with everyone he's ever known and the city that he lives to death."

He cracked his knuckles as he continued. "You are but one magus in a world among other, more psychotic magi, and monsters that are sometimes but a step behind being able to kill with a glance. When you encounter such threats, you must strike with everything you have and without hesitation. Kill the threat, so that the majority can survive."

Shirou listened as one enraptured, hanging onto every word like it was being spoken by God himself. Inwardly, Edgar smiled. 'Good, he's really taking what I'm saying seriously.'

"But that's only for simple solutions. I can't tell you how many times I've been to an apostle hunt, watching as innocent people were turned into living timebombs of corruption. I've always tried to help them, tried to help them overcome the power within them, only to watch as the majority became ravenous beasts without thought, or malevolent beings of the night. The few that can be saved, the ones who maintained their sanity even then, I did so without hesitation, just as I struck down the ones who could not, no matter how much they begged me to spare them.

"Can you do the same? Can you kill that little girl who is really a walking timebomb, no matter how much it screams for you not to, so it doesn't make you do the same to others?"

Shirou looked away, the mental image being born making him a little green. This had not been the reaction he had been expecting. He had known most would see his dream as foolish, but this was the first time anyone ever bothered to point out the flaws and problems in such an idea. "But..."

The white-haired man shook his head. "But even that's not the worst. There will be times you will face not a corruption of the body, something that can potentially be controlled and treated, but one of the mind, which is infinitely more difficult. Have you ever had a friend betray you? I did." Shirou flinched. "I looked up to him, saw him as a role model, and happily followed his every order. In the end, he betrayed me, revealing that I was naught but a tool for his own mad ambitions, and then had the nerve to die from a previous injury rather than await my own blade to do it. Admittedly, I was still trying to recover from the shock, but the point still stands. And while I did not deal the killing blow, the memory haunted me for several years, particularly in my nightmares."

Silence.

Edgar then sighed and sat down in his chair. "Sorry, but you needed to hear all of that. The path of a true hero is not one to tread lightly, and it would be best if you understand the risks before truly committing yourself, or else suffer the unfortunate fate of so many other so-called heroes, who either died in vain, abandoned their dreams as broken persons, or became the very thing they sought to destroy. Some of my own men suffered those very same fates, all because I never warned them or didn't aid them enough. I don't want the same to happen to you."

He looked Shirou in the eyes. "But despite all of that, are you still willing to follow this path, no matter what it may entail? I can guide you, train you, but ultimately it is you that must decide. I just want you to understand what your father discovered too late, being a hero is not all fun and games; it isn't those glorious stories you hear at bedtime, at least not anymore."

Shirou was silent for a long time, his mind digesting all that he had just been told. It would be foolish to say that his thirteen-nearing-fourteen-year-old mind, if more mature than most his age, fully grasped every last thing that Edgar had just said, but it got the gist. Suddenly, he found himself understanding more about what Kiritsugu had told him that last night: _"You can only be a hero for so long, and when you become an adult, you start to realize that it becomes harder to call yourself one..."_

But once again, the promise he had made, and the happiness that Kiritsugu had shown, the gladness of one who had his dreams inherited by a worthy successor, filled his mind. And he made his choice.

"Yes," he said with all the conviction he could muster. "I do."

Edgar was silent for a long moment, then smiled. "You truly are your father's son."

Turning his chair slightly, he gestured towards the wall away from window. Shirou followed the moment, seeing the entire wall covered in all manner of weapons, from swords, knives, and lances to pistols, shotguns, and even a missile launcher. It should be noted that the wall he was currently looking at wasn't some small wall either. It was at least twice as long as any other wall in the room, including its opposite wall of about six feet, and over seven feet high.

"A hero deserves his own personal weapon, does he not?" Edgar asked rhetorically. "Go to the wall and pick a weapon that suits your grip."

Shirou glanced at it, then back to him with an 'are-you-serious' look. "Do you just do this to every recruit?"

Edgar didn't answer, simply gesturing again. Shirou hesitated for a moment longer, then walked over to the wall. He briefly held a Glock, taking care to keep it pointed away from Edgar or himself, then put it back, the gun not feeling right in his hand. He turned his attention to a shotgun, and then a machine gun, always pointed away from either occupants of the room and finger off the trigger.

Edgar nodded. "First, second, and third rules of gun safety?"

"All guns are loaded," Shirou replied, "never point your gun at anything you're unwilling to destroy, and keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target. Maiya drilled that into my head."

"What about the fourth rule?"

"Be sure of your target and what's behind it," Shirou answered. "You would be surprised how many accidents are caused because someone didn't follow those four simple rules."

_**Fuyuki City (Same Time)**_

Rin Tohsaka found herself awkwardly rubbing the back of her head as Kirei Kotomine slowly stood up from his position on the ground, a bullet hole just millimeters from where his head would have been earlier before dropping.

"Rin, what have we said about firearm safety?"

"Eheheheh..."

_**Edgar's Office**_

Shirou gave up on the firearms, finding none of them seemed to fit his hands right, then moved on to the bladed weapons. He avoided the polearm weapons, moving onto the blades. He briefly held a standard double-bladed shortsword, then put it back, the blade feeling unbalanced in his hands. The same was for every other sword on the wall, from scimitar to longsword. Every blade felt too long, too short, too heavy or too light for his grip.

He turned back. "I don't think there's one here I can use."

Edgar didn't look discouraged. In fact, he looked more and more interested. "Really? Try the one just to your right."

Confused but willing to comply, Shirou turned his head in that direction, his eyes beholding another bladed weapon. It was a single-handed, straight-bladed cutlass, its basket-shaped guard, hilt, and pommel a dull gold and its grip a beautiful shade of deep blue. He looked at it for a moment, then shrugged, figuring why not.

Carefully lifting it off the wall, he held it in one hand. To his surprise, it fit his grip far better than any other weapon yet. It felt less like dead weight and more like an true extension of his arm. He gave it a few slow, experimental swings, feeling it respond to his movements fluently.

"Think fast Shirou!"

Edgar's voice, sudden yet commanding, immediately caught the boy's attention. Without a second thought, he turned in the direction of the voice and swung the sword down, slicing clean through whatever it was that was coming his way.

The next thing he saw was Edgar's somewhat disappointed face. "Did you really have to waste a perfectly good treat like that?"

It took him a second to realize it was a cookie.

"Uh... sorry?" Shirou asked, preparing to put the sword up, but Edgar's upraised hand stopped him.

"Keep it, Mr. Hero," Edgar replied, "You're going to need it."

Shirou looked at him, his eyes growing wider. "You mean..."

"Welcome to OSG, Shirou Emiya," Edgar said with a smile on his face, "I think you're going to fit in just fine."

* * *

**And so Shirou becomes a member of OSG and receives what might be his first lesson in changing his mindset.**

**By the way, since this all takes place during during the five-year timeskip, expect the chapters to sort of have some time pass between them from here on out. After all, since Shirou's not really a full-time member, he's really only coming here during the summer.**

**Stay tuned my viewers! We have some ways to go!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_Most people have different reactions when they meet __**the **__Wizard Marshall Zeltrech himself face-to-face. Some react in fear of what he's going to do, as he only appears when he wants to just royally fuck up some schmuck's life._

_Some act as respectful as possible in order to avoid getting some sort of prank of cosmic proportions thrown at them, or at least lessen the drop._

_Hell, some just run for their lives, trusting their chances at surviving jumps out of twenty-story windows or fighting with an army of ghouls and Dead Apostles rather than face whatever the bored wizard could possibly come up with._

_And then you have guys like me._

_"Who the hell are you supposed to be?"_

_The idiots who don't understand just what he is and what he can do. Granted, I had the excuse of just losing my best chance of seeing my wife again, covered in the remains of what should have done it, so I had a reason for being rather cross and rude. It's probably the only reason I didn't get sent to a dimension filled with nothing but shrimp and die of absolute insanity._

_But hey, I didn't know that at the time, so sue me._

_The man who only later would I realized the significance of simply chuckled at my choice of words. "Who am I? That's rather rude to ask for, when you won't even give your own name first."_

_I was half-tempted to just kick this guy's ass, but I held back, deciding to humor him for now. "My name is Oswald Edgarson," I answered tensely, deciding there was no real point in lying about my name, no one around here knew it, "so what's yours, geezer?"_

_Some might think it rude to talk that way to an old man, but I was never one to mince words, even when I wasn't angry. The only time I never talked rudely was when I was around people I trusted. And this tall, black-clad, silver haired and bearded old man just slightly leaning on his cane wasn't one of them._

_He chuckled again, though there appeared to be some steel behind it this time, enough to have me grip my sword in preparation. "Is that anyway to talk to someone who is offering you a second chance?"_

_"I don't need your pity or your help." I snapped back. Yes, I was digging my grave deeper and deeper, but even if I had known, I would done so gladly. Again, I was feeling rather suicidal right then._

_"...I see." This time, the man didn't even bother with the pretense of laughter, his voice now dead serious. "It would appear that I'll have to help you clear your mind before I make an offer."_

_The challenge in his tone was obvious._

_I answered with a battle cry as I charged, sword at the ready._

**_OSG Headquarters, Training Grounds {Three Weeks Later}_**

Shirou fell to his knees with a gasp as he completed his daily run of three miles, unslinging the weighted pack on his back while gasping for air. Upon completing that task, he grasped his ground with his hands, eyes shut in exhaustion. After Edgar had officially inducted him into the OSG, complete with the sword that now hung in his room, he had been greeted by the people who would be his instructors.

The first one he met, who went by the name of Jeanne Delacroix, would be his sword instructor. She was friendly enough, though she made it clear from the beginning that just because he was praised by both Maka and Soul, whom she greatly respected, it didn't mean he was going to get a VIP treatment with her; he would be taught and treated like everyone else in her class. She punctuated that by handing him his ass in their first lesson, though she praised him for at least knowing the basics and having some skill.

Despite that, he enjoyed it. Jeanne was better than both Maka and Soul together in that department, and it was refreshing to train against someone other than those two. He also quickly found she was very nice underneath her cold facade, and she genuinely cared for everyone she trained, not hesitating to correct mistakes or offer encouragement, be it by words or by actions.

The second, a bear of a man named Logan, would be his magic instructor, though he was currently on a mission and wouldn't be back 'till next week. However, in the three lessons they had before that, they had stuck with showing what he knew in Magecraft and improving on that. Their relationship was rather distant, with Shirou simply doing what was being told and Logan just watching and correcting, though not without a degree of respect on both sides.

The third, to his surprise, was Milo, who was to be his firearm instructor. Those were the classes that he liked in particular, mostly because Milo, while Jeanne and Logan certainly weren't bad, wasn't as serious, distant, or cold as the first two. He would often offer constructive criticism, and wouldn't hesitate to give credit when credit was due. He never hid how he felt about you.

His fourth and final instructor was Earl Harbinger, whom Shirou recognized as the other man who visited him and Kiritsugu in the hospital six years ago. Earl's response to his exclamation of "You!" was a simple chuckle and "I hope you're still not waiting to hear how that story ends." He was to be in charge of his physical education, since, as Edgar put it, 'if you can't even build up the endurance or strength to get to a person in need quickly without almost collapsing, you aren't going to make it far in the whole hero business'.

Much like Jeanne, Earl made it clear from the beginning that he wasn't one to pull his punches when training others; it didn't matter if you were an adult or barely a teen, you would receive the same levels of help and the same sort of verbal abuse by him as the next person. You didn't receive respect; you earned it.

Like today, everyone was ordered to run three miles while carrying a backpack filled with almost ten pounds of rock on their backs. He made it clear he didn't care if you ran across the finish line or crawled across it, as long as you made it. Shirou had been one of the last to cross it, at almost the hour mark.

In fact, he was half-tempted to just pass out right then and there, but a hand on his shoulder jolted him back to reality.

"I told you this stuff was hard," the voice of his partner rang out in his mind as he slowly got back to his feet, dimly aware of a water bottle being thrust into his hand. He quickly and gratefully lifted it to his mouth, taking care to slowly drink from it.

"You should also walk around a little bit," his partner added helpfully. "Get your heartrate down."

Shirou removed the bottle from his mouth, finally opening his eyes to look at his benefactor. Blue-grey eyes stared into his own, a familiar smirk crossing the teen's, who was roughly Shirou's own age, face, framed by the curly, messy blue locks on his head. He was dressed similarly to himself, wearing the standard exercise gear of an OSG trainee: Camouflage pants, military-grade boots, white T-shirt, and camo cap, and had a form of someone who was used to this sort of exercise.

However, unlike himself, he, aside from the sweat on his brow and some slight labored breathing, looked no worse for wear running those same three miles.

"How the heck do you deal with this stuff, Shinji?"

The named boy shrugged. "Hey, do this for a year and it grows on you. Though it might take a little longer for you."

In addition to having received his instructors, Edgar had also partnered Shirou with a more senior member, mostly to make sure he got the ropes right and to keep him company, due to the fact that Maka and Soul had left on the grounds of a mission. He had chosen Shinji Matou, a boy not that much older than Shirou himself, but had been here for almost a year now.

Quite honestly, Shirou enjoyed the other teen's company. While he could certainly be somewhat arrogant at times and brag about his ability, he was also kind and easy to get along with. Not to mention that his bragging was not entirely unjustified: He was an even better shot than Shirou was, both with a bow and firearm, and certainly had more aptitude for the physical side of their education.

He was also surprised to learn that Shinji used to live in Fuyuki also, but the teen in question didn't talk much about it, his face briefly turning to an uncharacteristically bitter scowl whenever he did do so. All he got out of him was something about an accident and he had nothing to go back to.

Briefly, Shirou wondered if it had something to do with two of his classmates, Rin and Sakura Tohsaka, along with rumors of the later's brief adoption by the Matous, but he didn't pry too deeply, letting it go.

"Where are you headed next?" Shinji asked, watching as Shirou's breathing slowly went back to normal levels.

"Sword class," Shirou breathed slowly, putting the water bottle down after taking another sig. "Miss Delacroix said she wanted to test my skills with a real blade, not a practice one."

Shinji looked vaguely impressed, though not by much. "Huh, I see." Turning around, he walked off, casually waving over his shoulder. "Good luck with that then, Emiya."

Shirou watched him go, a part of him just a little put off by his dismissive attitude. In addition to his somewhat arrogant attitude, the other thing that annoyed Shirou about Shinji was his dismissal of the sword as a useful weapon in the modern age. 'A gun can take care of anything coming towards you,' he had said in response to Shirou's inquiry about that, 'And assuming it gets too close or you run out of ammo, that's what the knife is for.'

Shaking his head, Shirou lifted his weighted pack to put away with the rest, Earl in his familiar jacket offering a simple nod as he passed, then turned around make his way towards another area of the compound where his bunk was, excitement slowly growing in his chest. Today was the day he would finally get to test his new sword.

_**Sword Room**_

When Shirou finally made it to Jeanne's room, cutlass sheathed and held carefully, he was surprised to see that there was almost no one there. While the class wasn't very big, having perhaps twelve or so other students aside from himself, he didn't think that the only other person in the class by this point would be only Jeanne herself.

Said teacher was still wearing her training gear, consisting of a black fencer's outfit, minus the mask. Her sword was lying sheathed at her side, and she was currently in the process of writing something down on a clipboard, perhaps the evaluation of the last trainee. Her head snapped up upon hearing his approach, her eyes briefly widening before returning to normal.

"Shirou Emiya," she greeted him politely, "I see you've finally taken the time to join me."

"Uh..." he began, intending to mention that he was busy with Earl's class and apologize, but she held up her hand for silence.

"I am well aware of what happened today in PE, so don't mention it. Either way, you're here now, and since I'm still here, you still have a chance to practice." She gestured towards the men's locker room. "Go on and get suited up."

Nodding his head in silent thanks, he quickly moved towards the locker room, and was out in but roughly twelve minutes, clad in a similar fencing outfit, though his was white and had the face mask. Jeanne nodded in approval, then gestured for him to come over to where she was.

"Um, Miss Delacroix?" Shirou asked as he got closer. "Exactly how do you intend for us to train with sharpened swords with only this clothing?" While the fencing outfits they were wearing could certainly resist being cut, being made of tough Dyneema fibers, the blades that many of the members of OSG wielded could easily pierce it, mostly due to the uniqueness of said blades and the sheer physical strength several members had in addition. He wasn't entirely certain if Jeanne had such a blade, but she was certainly stronger than she appeared. He still had bruises from previous practice bouts with wooden swords to justify that.

In answer, Jeanne held her silver sword, its grip surrounded in carvings of what appeared to be vines, and placed her finger on its edge. Whispering softly, a blue light appeared at the tip, which she then rang down the length of the blade until said glow covered it entirely. She then took Shirou's sword and did the same thing.

"What's that for?" Shirou asked as he took his weapon back, bringing a finger to the glowing edge, only to stop when he realized he couldn't touch the edge.

"A blunting spell," his teacher replied simply. "It's a little something that Logan came up with. The spell surrounds the entire blade with a field of energy so that we don't have to worry about cutting each other if we fail to successfully block a hit. However, it doesn't affect the weight of the weapon itself or anything else about it. It's meant to allow people to get used to the feel of a real weapon in their hands, without injuring others and themselves in the process."

In curiosity, Shirou slapped the flat of the blade on his hand, feeling the pain as the weight collided with bone. "Ow!" he flinched as he shook that hand quickly, "Doesn't that mean we can still hurt each other? And how did you cast that?"

Jeanne allowed a small smile to pass along her face. "Yes, but now you just need to worry about bruising, not bleeding. Also, while I am no Magus, I do have an affinity for manipulating Prana. It just took me a few months to get it right."

"Duly noted," Shirou muttered, then placed his mask down on his face. "Well, I guess we're starting now?"

Jeanne simply placed her own mask down, assuming a ready stance. "Remember what I've taught you already: Come at me like you intend to kill, otherwise you won't land a single hit."

Shirou assumed his own stance, then charged. Their blades met with a clang, the blue auras on both their blades preventing the steel from actually touching each other, yet still creating the sound of metal striking metal.

Behind his mask, Shirou grinned despite himself. _This _was what he was waiting for.

_**With Shinji**_

Shinji Matou lined up the sights of his rifle onto the human-shaped target 200 yards away, lying on his stomach just like the other seven people around him.

"Remember!" Milo's voice rang out from behind them, "Take your time and aim carefully! We'll grade you for speed next time; today, it's all about accuracy and precision!"

Shinji only just acknowledged his words. Slowly exhaling, his mind entered a blank slate as he methodically pulled the trigger ten times, stopping only to slightly adjust his aim and shift position on the ground. He then unloaded the empty magazine, grabbed one of the two spares next to him, reloaded, then repeated the previous process again. He prepared to grab the last one, but Milo's voice interrupted him.

"Alright, that's enough!"

The firing from the other people stopped at the sound of his call. The eight people stood up slowly, nocking their safeties back on, and stood at attention. Milo walked forward to look at each target, noting the pattern of each one.

"Number One, not bad at all! Most of your shots got him in the chest, though I see that a few went a little too far to the right! Try to adjust that!"

"Number Two! I admit, your aim's not bad: You got him all in the body, but I would at least suggest you group them a little better! It looks like someone just randomly stabbed this person everywhere! What if your target was moving!?"

"Number Three! ...At least your grouping is amazing, but you're not gonna take something down if you only aim for the arm! Some of those threats will happily keep moving even if you shot off all four of their limbs! Aim for the center mass!"

Shinji actually had to bite back a chuckle from listening to Milo's words and seeing the somewhat chastised faces of the last two students. 'Amateurs,' he briefly thought. 'That'll get you killed out in the field...'

"Number Four!" Here, Shinji stood at attention, realizing that Milo had reached his target. "A damn fine job! This is what I was expecting!"

Shinji felt a burst of pride ignite in his chest as he looked upon his target. "Thank you, sir!" he called. Of the twenty shots he had fired, all of them were grouped around the center of the target's chest, piercing his lungs and heart as well as creating several holes in his ribcage. Few things would have survived that sort of punishment.

"The rest of you chumps could learn from his example! Take a good look, all of you!"

Shinji felt and quashed the desire to smile smugly at the sight of several of the other members looking at him with envy. He remembered well what happened to those who got too prideful in Milo's class; he had been one after all. His eyes still hurt from being forced to stare down rifle sights, his arms still ached from constantly using cleaning tools, and he could still smell the stench of cleaning supplies at the memory of his 'character development', as Milo had put it.

Needless to say, his first year at this place had done wonders for his arrogance factor.

"Of course, don't get too cocky. I've seen drunken soldiers who did better, myself among them," Milo added, then moved on to the next one.

That time, Shinji did scowl slightly at his back, tuning out the brief snickers from the others. He might no longer be as arrogant, but his pride was still as strong as ever.

'Asshole...' he thought silently.

After Milo checked and praised/admonished the others, he then dismissed them. "Go clean those rifles!" he called after them. "I'm not your nanny, and those weapons are your spouses!"

Shinji turned and walked towards the shed that contained the cleaning supplies at the other end of the yard along with the others without a word, briefly glancing over in the general direction of Jeanne's class.

'Wonder how Emiya's doing?' he wondered, recalling that he had a sword-fighting session with Miss Delacroix today. He himself could care less for swords, but he knew from others that she didn't half-ass her teachings: You either got good at it, or you became a literal target. As such, he was at least somewhat concerned for his partner. Why he would go through something like that for an art that was practically useless in modern times was completely alien to him.

Actually, upon closer inspection, quite a bit about Shirou was alien to him. He was certainly a nice person, but he also liked to go out his way to help others with their problems. Shinji himself was a firm believer of having to deal with your problems on your own, so it was mildly annoying whenever Shirou stopped to help someone who was struggling with a heavy load or even staying behind to clean weapons when he clearly had other things to do.

Still, there was something about the way that he seemed to truly enjoy doing all of those things that stopped Shinji from trying to correct it. It was like watching an enthusiastic snake handler who works with poisonous snakes for a living. You know its not safe and potentially life-threatening, but the sheer energy that the person shows doing it makes you forget about that.

He shook his head, grabbing several rags and some cleaning solution. 'Eh, it's not my place to judge anyways,' he thought. 'If he wants to do it, then let him.'

_**Sword Room**_

Shirou was seriously wondering just how many more times could he take getting a piece of steel smashed or jabbed into his body and still keep going on. His breath was coming in ragged gasps as his muscles burned to keep swinging his sword, move about into more favorable positions, dodge incoming attacks, and resist collapsing through the pain.

From behind his mask, sweat rolled down his face into his eyes, which irritated him because he couldn't wipe it away, and more sweat seemed to just soak into his clothing, making him feel sticky. He literally felt like he was about to just drop to the ground in exhaustion and lie there for the rest of the day, ignoring his aches and pains.

In contrast, Jeanne looked the picture of health, seemingly no worse for wear despite their almost full hour of swordplay. Hell, she was wearing the black outfit, which should logically mean she was hotter than he was right now, and yet perhaps a ninth of the amount of sweat visible on his uniform was on hers. She was still going on strong, patiently waiting for him to get back up off the ground before firmly planting him back into it, all the while calling out advice as their blades met.

_Clang!_

"Not bad Shirou, but you need to strike a little faster. Sometimes you need to sacrifice power for speed."

_Clang!_

"However, if you strike too fast, you won't be able to put enough force behind the blow, so learn to balance!"

_Clang!_

"Get your guard up! That would have taken you through the heart if you were any slower!"

_Bang!_

"That's better! Almost had me too!"

"HAAH!"

_Crack!_

_Thunk!_

"...Well, you lasted five minutes that time. An improvement over your starting of thirty seconds," Jeanne finally said as she watched Shirou slowly get back to his feet. "...And this makes it the... twenty, twenty-first time? I lost count after fifteen, you've gotten up so far."

"...Again..." Shirou panted slowly, getting back to his feet and ignoring the aches his body was emitting. Jeanne hadn't been lying; he hadn't received a single cut on his person or even his clothing during the match, but he felt like she had spent the time hitting him with an iron bar, especially on his bony bits where he didn't have much muscle to cushion the impact, even with the more protective padding and guards on those points.

Still, he refused to bend over just yet.

He couldn't see her expression from behind the mask, but he guessed from her next words it was part-impressed that he was still going, but part-exasperated that he simply refused to stop. "Are you sure? I've seen all that I need to see today. You're free to go."

Shirou didn't answer, just raising his sword up.

Jeanne sighed. "Well, there's certainly something to say for tenacity. However..."

Almost faster than Shirou could react, she was in front of him with her sword poised for a thrust to his chest. He responded by trying to angle his sword to reflect, only to realize too late that it was a feint. The true attack came when she struck from below, striking his sword and twisting it in such a way that he was forced to let go of it, the blade falling to the ground and being kicked away for good measure.

"...sometimes it will only prolong the inevitable."

Mind racing as she brought the sword up to his chest, Shirou did the only thing he could think of. It was crazy, it was stupid, and, if this was real-life combat, it would probably get him killed.

He did it anyway.

With the frenzied strength and speed of one truly desperate, he reached out and _grabbed _the sword with his left hand, trusting the spell around the blade to protect it, and pushed with all of his strength, forcing the sword away. Not giving her a second to react, he then closed the distance between them, his other hand balled into a fist.

For a brief moment, Jeanne just watched flabbergasted. In all of the time she ever taught here, never before had anyone gone so far as to try and deflect a blade with their bare hand and keep fighting. Of course, logically, someone could try to do so, but the fact that so much could go wrong with such an effort, such as a pierced limb, made it unlikely.

Even if it was successful, the fact the blade would still leave a dangerous cut along the limb would stop or slow the perpetrator down long enough for the opponent to recover from the shock and finish the job. However, Shirou had taken advantage of the the fact that such a thing couldn't happen here and did it anyways.

A small part of Jeanne that was still thinking clearly had to admit she was impressed with his strategy. Such quick-thinking could save his life for real someday.

Regardless, as she recovered from the initial shock, Shirou pulled back his right fist and swung full-force towards her face mask, a yell of triumph ripping through his mind.

'I've got her!'

And if she was a normal human, then yes, he would have.

Unfortunately for him, Jeanne 'Laeticia' Delacroix was no normal person.

His fist was just a centimeter from her mask before her own left hand came up and grabbed it, stopping it cold. Next thing he knew, she was behind his back, his arm twisted around there as well as being held in a very uncomfortable position.

"Yield?" She asked quietly, yet not angrily. In fact, there was a faint current of respect in her tone.

Shirou didn't answer with words, only nodding. Immediately, he felt relief as Jeanne let up the pressure as she let go, and he quickly brought his right arm back around to nurse briefly.

"...Not bad, even if it wasn't what I was testing you for," she admitted. "However, you realize what that would have meant if you did that on a real battlefield?"

Again, he simply nodded.

"Worst-case scenario: You would have been short one arm. Even in the best-case, that would have left you crippled," Jeanne continued stoically, "and if your gamble failed, you would be helpless to resist being torn to pieces."

"If I ever went that far," Shirou countered, "it would mean that I had no choice but to try it."

Jeanne stared at him for a moment, then an unseen, sad smile crossed her face. "It's amazing how you refuse to give up even in the face of certain defeat, such is the mark of a hero." Here, her voice took on a darker turn. "However, there are times when you will have to accept that you will have to yield to your opponent, no matter how much you struggle otherwise. To continue to fight in those times will mean only suffering for yourself and those you are attempting to save."

Shirou was silent, then looked down, digesting those words. Again, another truth he was becoming accustomed to in his time here. Even without the little lecture Edgar had given him, he was quickly learning the path of being a hero of justice wasn't quite as black and white as he might have thought.

The sound of sliding steel interrupted him. Looking back up, he saw that she had placed her sword, now lacking its blue glow, back into its sheath. She then removed her face mask, her purple eyes staring into Shirou's still masked ones.

"At least, that's what I've learned in my experience, but then again, you're not me. Perhaps you'll find another way." She then gestured towards the door. "You're free to go after you change."

Shirou felt his mood brighten a little at her words. Looking behind himself, he reached down and grabbed his sword, putting it back into its sheath. He then began to walk towards the changing rooms.

"Thank you, Miss Delacroix," he told her kindly as he passed her. "I hope you have a nice day."

She smiled back at him. "And to you too, Shirou."

She watched as he entered the men's room, then turned around to head to her inner office.

Not once did either of them noticed the lone figure watching from the sole window into the room from the outside. To be fair though, it wasn't so much a figure as the shadow of one, and so faint at that even if someone was actively looking for it they would have easily missed sight of it. However, as Jeanne neared the window on the way to her office, it vanished before she could even make an effort of accidentally seeing it.

Vanished not as in 'quickly moved away before being sighted', vanished as in 'completely and utterly gone without a trace'.

* * *

**And so, Shinji shows up again! Now that he doesn't have Zouken twisting his mind, hopefully he'll end up better off this time around, with a genuine friendship with Shirou. **

**Also, I'll give you three guesses as to the identity of the mysterious watcher.**

**Once again, tell me what you thought in reviews!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Ah yes, I should probably mention that the name 'Delacroix' was in fact coined from another F/SN fanfic entitled "Clarent Blood Arthur" by King of Beasts, an interesting little "what-if" scenario where Illya summons Mordred Pendragon instead of Heracles as Berserker.**

**I would say more, but let's just say the character who has that name is very similar to the one who has it here.**

**And on that note, let's go!**

* * *

_Before I continue with what happened next, let's elaborate quickly on some of my previous feats._

_As stated before, I killed the undead king of the Netherworld, who happened to be a three-headed undead Cerebus that was once my grandfather._

_Before that, I had slaughtered countless bomb-wielding dwarves, mighty Berserkers, armored valkyries, winged and magic-wielding fairies, brave Unicorn knights, treacherous goblins, fire-using Vulcans, poisonous manticores, mindless black wraiths, and even legions of the dead._

_My greatest achievements: Slaying two of the remaining four dragons of my world, which was no small feat, as they were once the mightiest of all the races. They were Hindel, whom foresaw his death by my hands and only offered token resistance, and the second his friend, the Dragon King Wagner, who fought me with all his power to avenge his friend's death. I fought and killed both, the first to prove the power of my sword, Belderiver, and the second as part of a quest to earn the right to marry my wife._

_Even greater than them, however, and my greatest battle aside from my grandfather, King Gallon, was my defeat of the Inferno King Onyx, to whom my wife's hand in marriage was originally promised. To fully understand the grasp of his power, he was one of the five Armageddon-causing threats alongside my grandfather and the last dragon, Leventhan, though at the time of our battle he was not yet at that level. Regardless, our fight was one of my greatest, for his true form was that of... honestly, the best way to describe it would be of a miniature Balrog from J.R Tolkien's stories, without the whip, two arms with heavy metal gauntlets that he could shoot like rockets (as in, his whole arm included), and perhaps only four times as big as a normal person._

_My blade, Belderiver, channeled the very power of the Netherworld itself, granting me power that most could only dream of. I was the mightiest human in existence; with the powers of darkness at my command, I could shift my very form to that of a creature that earned me the moniker of 'Shadow Knight', a demonic shadow whose appearance on the battlefield spelled death for many a foe._

_And of course, I was the sole survivor of the great battle with six other legends, some of which were potentially even stronger than I was._

_So, when I tell you that I got the shit beat out of me by that old man Zeltrech, I want you to fully appreciate the weight and meaning behind those words._

_Granted, I was exhausted from the last battle with the sole remaining legend, and my anger at losing my only chance to bring my wife back no doubt affected my judgement and conduct during that fight, but the point remains that I lost, handily at that._

_I won't go into detail about what happened. Let's leave it at we reduced much of the surrounding landscape that wasn't already destroyed from the battles between the seven legends to rubble, and that I witnessed magic the likes of which I had never seen before._

_Trust me, you would never look at cows the same way ever again._

_Sufficient to say, in the end I was flat on my back on the ground, heaving and barely conscious, while he had only shrugged off the ruined remains of his coat and was standing as straight and tall as when we began, albeit with some labored breathing._

_"Well..." he panted as he looked down at me with a smile on his face. "That was one hell of a workout!"_

_I didn't say anything, just staring at the sky above me._

_"So... are you willing to listen to what I have to say now?"_

_"...Why the hell are you doing this to me, old man?" I finally asked him, exasperated with this guy's attitude and presence._

_The old man raised a hand to his beard and stroked it for a moment. "Well, I've been recently trying to find an apprentice to take under my wing, but unfortunately, I've yet to find a single person who would take the job willingly. Most run away screaming. From me, a humble old man!"_

_'I can't blame them...'_

_"I was at wit's end until I came here out of sheer boredom," he continued without missing a beat, "and then I found you, someone who should not exist here and yet for some reason still does. It piqued my interest, so to speak."_

_I scoffed. "You should have just let me die. I'm no one, and I don't have any reason to be here anymore, just like you've said."_

_"Really? Because what I see is a rather decent person who has simply been tossed a bad hand by fate a few times too many," the old man responded not unkindly, his voice losing that annoyingly cheerful tone from earlier. "Perhaps I thought that such a person deserves a second chance."_

_Here, I finally gained enough strength to lift my head and stare straight at him. "...You're one persistent bastard, aren't you?"_

_He shrugged. "Well then, how about I make you a deal? You come with me and do a little favor, and then you can decide what to do with your life afterwards. I'll even aid you in doing it."_

_"Why would I make a deal if I want to die right now?"_

_"Two reasons. Firstly, it's the sort of deal that will allow you to save two otherwise innocent souls from an end that they frankly don't deserve due to being used as tools by another, and you're the only person who I think might have a chance of helping them due to your blade's... special condition."_

_"...How did you know about that?"_

_Zeltrech shrugged. "Let's say I'm well-informed," he replied cryptically._

_"Then if you're so well-informed, what good would the power of the dead do for the living?" I asked. "This power can't 'save' anyone, save giving them a merciful end."_

_"Your sword channels a fell power, true, but I was referring its other ability. Its more... useful ability, but more specifically, what the inverse of it is."_

_Was I suspicious? Hell yes, but I won't lie when say I was interested also. True, I was never one who believed in being a hero in all my life, just doing what I thought was necessary to survive, but another part of me loathed the idea of an innocent being used as nothing but a tool for others. It reminded me far too much of myself.  
_

_"And the second?"_

_Here, the old man smiled, seemingly pleased that I was interested. "It's the sort of job that's practically guaranteed to kill you even if you do succeed. At least this way you die helping others, not out of disgust with yourself."_

**_OSG Headquarters {One Year Later}_**

"Try again."

Shirou flinched under the cold voice of his magic instructor Logan, but complied, preparing to activate his Circuits in preparation for what he was about to do. With a slow and easy movement, he drew the sword that had stayed by his side ever since he had received it, feeling its familiar grip under his hand.

"Concentrate upon the sword in your hand," he heard his teacher say again, but seemingly from the other end of a great tunnel. "Tune out all unnecessary thoughts and imaginings. Think only of the sword."

Shirou was already ahead of his teacher, his focus directed solely upon the blade in his hand, observing its every curve and straight line, the sight emblazoned so well into his mind he could draw it fully detailed with a blindfold on.

_"Trace On."_

With that, his trigger activated, all twenty-seven of his Circuits flaring with ten units of Prana each.

_"Structural Grasp."_

A blueprint of the weapon in hand appeared in his mind, every flaw and strength made as apparent to him as day and night. This blueprint was a familiar one to him, as he had spent almost every night for the past year, even after he had left the compound to return to life in Fuyuki City only to come back this summer once again, looking it over and over again.

"Reinforcement of the weakened parts."

His mind took note of the gaps and imperfections, as few and minute as there were, within the sword, to which he then channeled Prana into. His mind's eye watched with glee as the Prana he released bonded with the blade, reinforcing the object to the point he could have slammed it into an anvil and it would not have received a mark.

"Good," Logan's voice rang out, breaking through his glee. "Now, let's take it to the next level. Step by step, just like I've taught you."

Here, Shirou wavered for a moment, then complied. He took another deep breath, then held out his left hand. Once more, the blueprint of the sword in his right hand flared before his mind, but now he was attempting to do something far more advanced and harder than mere Reinforcement.

_"Trace On."_

His Circuits flared once more, increasing their output to fifteen units each.

"Judge the concept of creation."

At once, the blade's components, how much material was contained within and where it all was, design flaws, where it was strongest and weakest, and where the true blade ended and where his Prana began all flowed into his mind.

"Visualize the basic structure."

Taking that information, he imagined that very same sword was now in his left hand, a perfect replica of the one in his right.

"Duplicate the component materials."

Mentally, he imagined all of the materials that his Structural Analysis magecraft had shown him in a neat pile, all ready to forge the blade. He felt sweat upon his brow, but ignored it, concentrating solely on finishing his task.

"Imitate the skill of its making."

He saw himself forging the sword out of said materials, creating a perfect duplicate of the sword in his palm.

"Sympathize with the experience of growth."

Slowly, despite the fact his eyes were closed so he couldn't see, he felt an actual weight starting to form in his hands. He then increased the output of his Circuits to twenty in order to overcome the sudden feeling that it was starting to vanish once again.

"Reproduce the accumulated age."

More and more, the weight felt less like he was imagining it and more like it was actually there. Despite his outward appearance calmness, he was fighting with all his willpower to maintain that same calm on the inside, trying to prevent joy from ruining what was potentially his most successful effort yet. He pushed his Circuits to twenty-five, as high as he dared.

"Excel every manufacturing process."

Finally, something tugged on the inside of his left hand's grip, similar in weight to what was in his right. Immediately, Shirou cleared his mind and deactivated his Circuits, removing any chance of having just imagined what he was feeling.

The weight was still there, and there was definitely something in his hands.

"Open your eyes, Shirou Emiya," his teacher called out, "and look upon what you have made."

Shirou did so, his eyes widening as they did.

In his left hand, gleaming dully in the light of the room, was another cutlass, appearing as a twin of sorts to the real blade in his other hand.

"I did it," he breathed, wiping away some of the sweat on his brow with his sleeve, taking care not to impale himself in the process. "I finally managed to Trace something completely!"

What he had been practicing for the past several months was the next stage in his training, Projection Magecraft. Essentially a more advanced version of Reinforcement, it involves using the blueprint of an object found during Structural Analysis to, instead of finding and reinforcing the flaws in an existing object, materialize a copy of said object in accordance to the caster's imagination into the real world.

Normally, such a Magecraft would be rather useless, due to the fact that the projected objects would often fade away after anything from minutes to hours depending upon how stable they were and how much Prana was used to create them, due to the world rejecting them as inconsistencies. It would be much easier and practical to create the item in question with the appropriate techniques and raw materials.

However, since Shirou and Logan had long ago figured out he could do squat in other forms of Magecraft, they settled for mastering what he could use, and since Projection was one, they dug into it with gusto.

In addition, Logan had recently been teaching Shirou a different way of Projecting objects called Tracing, claiming he learned it during one of his travels. However, he himself did not have the capability to properly duplicate it, so he was unable to give a demonstration. From what Shirou had been told though, it involved not only reproducing the shape and substance of an object, but also its entire history as well, which made it much more practical and cost-effective than the original version.

_"Then what makes you think I can use it?" _He had asked when Logan began to teach it.

Logan's response was a chuckle. _"Let's just say you and the master of this technique are both cut from the same cloth."_

If nothing else, it was certainly an improvement over his first efforts at Projecting. He could barely get a blackened version of whatever he was trying to Project that shattered easily back then, even when he opened his Circuits all the way. Now, with Tracing, he was at least getting complete objects that could actually hold themselves together for a few hits.

"Take a closer look though," Logan's voice echoed. "It's still not quite perfect."

Shirou looked again. It was true that, upon closer inspection, the item wasn't quite as perfect as he thought. The handguard was a dull copper compared to the gold of the real deal, the grip a blacken blue rather than simply deep blue. In addition, its blade was dull in color, splotched with black here and there compared to the normally pristine silver of the true sword.

"Darn it..." he muttered, his exhilaration giving way to disappointment, "still got a ways to go..."

"Then why don't you test it?" Logan asked, drawing his own sword. "Let us see if it makes up in utility what it lacks in appearance."

Giving the blade a brief, worried look-over, Shirou swung the Traced weapon, anticipating it to shatter upon contact with Logan's weapon, just as so many other failed projects had. To his surprise, the blade struck the other with a massive clang, yet still held itself together.

Feeling elation beginning to return, Shirou grabbed his real sword and swung it as well, forcing Logan to disengage and deflect it. They then began a quick bout, Shirou's two blades against Logan's own. It wasn't uncomfortable for Shirou, since the cutlasses were designed with the idea of using two at the same time anyways, and they were light enough that he could swing both without much trouble.

In fact, it actually suited his fighting style even better than just one sword, as he possessed the sufficient skill to wield two blades effectively with both hands, and it made guarding and parrying so much easier. He had discovered this during a practice bout with Jeanne that resulted in breaking his practice sword in two, but instead of giving up, he had simply grabbed and used the ends, showing far more skill with two short swords than one long blade.

To his disappointment, there wasn't a second version of his cutlass lying around. According to what Edgar had told him when he asked him about that, this cutlass was the only version of the blade that was still left around, ever since its original owner, who could create them on the turn of a dime, was put out of action.

_"What happened to him?"_

_"Her," _Edgar had corrected. _"And that's a story I will have to tell you someday soon, but not quite just now."_

Regardless, he found himself in a stalemate with Logan, not because they were locking swords, but because Logan was just standing there blocking all of his hits regardless of how aggressively he struck, and whenever he tried to maneuver into a more advantageous position, the bearded man would just turn or maneuver himself out of it. The reason for this? Logan had conjured an invisible shield that Shirou's strikes were just bouncing off of right now, having put away his own sword and now standing with his arms crossed like some sort of unmovable guardian.

"I see that your skill with two swords was not exaggerated by Jeanne," Logan commented simply as he continued to weather the storm of attacks. "An enemy would be hard-pressed to defeat you with that."

Shirou's eyes narrowed. "You know, if you were actually bothering to lift your sword and defend, rather than just using a shielding spell, I would probably appreciate your words more."

He lifted back his hand and struck the shield once more with his Traced sword, only to watch it shatter like glass, metal shrapnel flying about from impact only to fade away before striking anyone or anything.

"I can't wait to get a real sword," he grumbled as he looked down at the grip, which was also dissolving into Prana. "Even with this 'Tracing', it still takes too long to form a weapon."

"Just continue to practice," Logan replied as he dropped the shield. "Start with doing it without saying words out loud, then work your way up to speeding up the incantation speed."

Shirou grumbled, but something he had been meaning to ask for a while came to the forefront of his mind. "How good was this guy you learned this from?"

"I didn't so much as 'learn' as 'observe' his Magecraft, but he was 'good' enough that he Traced masterful and deadly weapons within mere seconds and without any words other than his trigger." Logan responded with an almost nostalgic tone. "That was also one of the few times I ever lost a fight to anyone." He stroked his beard. "He never gave his name though, claiming he was just a sword to be used, a lapdog. A rather sad way to live, if you ask me, but that is the fate of a Counter Guardian."

Shirou stopped and looked at him again, eyes widening. "You fought a Counter Guardian and survived?"

"I've fought and once killed a Counter Guardian, though I got lucky that time. And this one was stronger than that one. I only survived because Starrk was there to back me up. It also took me years after the event remembering the exact details behind that encounter to figure out how he did his Magecraft," he replied almost... wistfully(?), then looked back Shirou. "So I think you can appreciate the effectiveness of this technique."

Shirou nodded mutely.

Logan then waved him away. "Go on and get going then. I believe your friend Soul wanted to see you about something after this, eh? Wouldn't want to keep him waiting."

Shirou's eyes widened. Crap, he had forgotten all about that! Turning and putting his sword away, he raced for the door, only stopping to look back and say, "Thank you, Master Tezerenee!"

Logan just watched him go, his normally hidden forked tongue briefly slipping out of his mouth, a brief sign of his nervousness. "Ssso young and full of life..." he muttered to himself, his sibilance another indicator of his troubled mind. "Hard to believe that at least one version of him grew up to be _that_..."

_**OSG Hallways**_

Shirou rang down the halls of the Headquarters, heading for Maka and Soul's sleeping quarters, worry flirting through his mind.

'Crap crap crap crap crap!' he thought quickly. 'Please tell me I didn't miss them!' He then reached down into his pocket, feeling for something that Soul had handed him. 'Okay, it's still there!'

So concerned with getting to where his friends were, he didn't bother to slow down as he rounded a corner.

"AH!"

"Ugh!"

"Shir- Waugh!"

That proved to be a mistake when he crashed straight into the targets of his hurry, sending all three of them to the ground.

"What the heck just hit us?" Shirou heard Soul mutter in annoyance as they started to disentangle themselves from each other. "Oh, hey Shirou."

"Shirou? What are you doing here?" Maka asked in confusion as they finally got separated.

"Ugh, hey guys," Shirou muttered as he got up. "I'm glad I caught you before you left, because Soul wanted to talk to me about something and it sounded kind of important..." He trailed off slowly when he got a good look at the two of them, their attire specifically.

Soul was wearing a dark pinstriped suit with a red undershirt, along with a black tie to complete the look. On his feet, he had black leather shoes, and his head was distinctly lacking its normally ever-present black headband, though the hair itself was still the same.

Maka was wearing a dark blue ballroom-style dress that reached down to her knees and clung to her figure rather well. Upon her feet were a matching pair of high heel shoes, and on her arms were a pair of evening gloves, which reached slightly past her elbows and were a light shade of blue to compliment her dress. Her hair was done slightly different as well, with her normal pigtails gone to be replaced with a single ponytail behind her head.

Considering that he rarely ever saw them dressed up this formally, Shirou was understandably silent for a few moments as he looked at them. His eyes then noticed how they were both now fidgeting under his gaze, then he remembered the little item that Soul handed him.

'Are they...' he thought, then said, "Uh... you two look good?"

Those words seemed to snap them out of their stupor. "Um, it's good to see you too, Shirou..." Maka finally said as she quickly looked down, smoothing a wrinkle in her attire. "And thanks..."

"Yeah..." Soul added, then glanced towards Shirou, his eyes asking a question. _Do you have it?_

Shirou nodded almost imperceptibly, to which Soul relaxed slightly. He then looked over at Maka. "Hey Maka, could you go on ahead? I've got to talk to Shirou about something right quick."

She looked at the two of them for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders. "Fine, just don't take too long."

The two waited as she resumed her walk. Only once she was around the next corner did Soul look back towards Shirou, holding out his hand. "So, I heard your Magecraft studies have been going good recently," he said out loud, perhaps not quite trusting Maka to have vacated the premises completely.

Shirou reached into his pocket, fishing around. "Yeah, I'm getting better at Projecting. I've actually gotten to full, durable objects now," he replied, keeping up the masquerade. "Can't wait for when I can make them fast and so they don't shatter after a few hits."

"Really? Well, practice makes perfect, like they say."

Shirou finally lifted his hand again, revealing the object in question to be a small black box. "Yeah, but in other news... how long have you guy's been going out without my knowledge?" he asked as he withheld from dropping it into Soul's hand, a small smirk on his features. "This is certainly the first time I've seen you two dressed up like this?"

Soul scowled, but answered. "About two years now. We've been covering our tracks well so we don't have conversations like this." _And if you keep this up, we will never have another one because I'll bury you alive _his gaze seemed to say.

Shirou couldn't keep the smirk off though despite the threat. "Yeah? Well, good to see you're finally listening to me and everyone else," he replied as he dropped the box into Soul's hand, lowering his voice to an conspirator's whisper. "When's the wedding?"

Soul shook his head as he pocketed the item in question. "Mark my words, when you get your own girlfriend, I'm gonna milk it for all its worth. See how you like it..." he muttered as he began to walk away.

"In all seriousness though," Shirou added, causing Soul to stop for a moment. "I'm happy for you both. I really am."

Soul stood there for perhaps a second or two, then looked back, a familiar smirk on his face. "Well, maybe I'll lighten the teasing a little bit... thanks for keeping this safe by the way."

"No prob."

Soul turned around and began to speed-walk, no doubt hoping to catch Maka before she lost her temper and decided to come back. Shirou watched him go for a second, then turned around to leave, unable to keep a grin off his face.

_**The Next Day**_

"Remind me again, why are you here?"

Shirou looked over to a slightly scowling Shinji Matou. "What? You were ordered to clean these bathrooms after that incident with the firing range and calling Mr. Harbinger a... 'flea-bitten asshole' wasn't it?, after he was just trying to correct your aim and lecture you."

Shinji, clad in a janitor's outfit one size too big, shoved his mop into the soap and water bucket with agitated force. "I'm not apologizing, that guy was asking for it," he retorted. "Besides, I asked what _you _were doing here, not why I'm here."

Shirou smiled slightly. "Well, since I'm technically you're partner, I was ordered to watch you just in case you decided to goof off."

The two were currently standing in front of (well, Shirou was standing, Shinji was inside) one of three major bathrooms in the entire complex, complete with not only sinks and toilets, but also a few shower stalls in the corner. The building which housed this sanctuary of cleanliness was a small, fully enclosed building at the northwest corner of the compound, capable of comfortably accommodating fourteen people at once.

It also smelled like shit, because it was the one furthest from the main building and nearest to the wilderness, and the bathroom itself was also one of the least used of all the facilities, having never been cleaned in over a year. Most people only used the main two, which were within the main building itself and just outside it respectively, and maintained by the official janitor of OSG, Raymond Starrk.

While occasionally used, this bathroom also lacked fully functional plumbing, so shit occasionally just built up over here and it always smelled horrible. Even when people didn't really use it in the later months when it started to smell, the drainage field for the unmentionables in the other two bathrooms was actually very close to the location of this bathroom, passed straight under it at that, so it got nasty any which way you looked at it.

Essentially, it was the bane of many a member's existence whenever the wind blew the wrong way or they needed to travel near it, and many of the newcomers wondered exactly what was the purpose of the thing, or why the heck didn't the higher ups just fix it up.

Simple really. Because it was the official punishment, reflection, and 'character-building' area of OSG. Edgar quickly discovered, by accident, that being forced to clean up a year's worth of shit was a great motivator for people to stay in line, so he always 'accidently' forgot to call people to fix the place or 'misplaced' the funding necessary to do so.

"Being a pain in my ass is more like it..." Shinji muttered as he started scrubbing the floor. "Well, you can plainly seen I'm doing just fine. Besides, I smell like toilet water, so you'll find me even if I did try to weasel out of it. Why don't you go and practice with your sword or Magecraft or whatever it is you do these days?"

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "C'mon Shinji, don't be like that!" He then moved forward from his position at the open entrance of the door and grabbed another mop. "How 'bout I help you out?"

Shinji had his back to him, but Shirou could almost imagine the scowl on his face. "I don't need help," he replied stonily. "I've got it all under control."

"I insist."

"I don't need your pity, Shirou!" Shinji snapped almost defensively. "I can do this myself."

"And I'm helping whether you want it or not," Shirou responded resolutely. "Besides, I can't stand the idea of standing here all day smelling what's in here. Might as well help you get rid of it faster."

"...Whatever," Shinji finally relented. "Just don't get in my way."

Internally, Shirou signed. Shinji was a decent guy to hang around with usually, but his personal-pride thing was definitely something that he needed to work on. Not only did he take an extreme level of pride in his ability, it even extended to the point that whenever he was given a task, he wanted to complete it alone under his own power. It was like he assumed that unless he could do something by himself, he was nothing but a burden on others. And while he was certainly willing to work with others, it was usually with great reluctance and only when necessary.

Shirou personally thought that sort of thinking was bull, but he had yet to convince Shinji otherwise. He had a feeling the only reason Shinji really let him help this time was because he really didn't want to spend anymore time than necessary in that room with that smell as he himself did.

The two passed the time in relative silence, only broken by the sound of water splashing and the _splat_ of the cleaning supplies impacting the wet and soapy surfaces. Shirou spent that time thinking what had happened in the last day or so, particularly about Soul and Maka. When he saw them again this morning, he had been curious as to how their whole little date had gone off. While he didn't get a chance to talk to either of them, mostly because they were currently talking with Giro, he had noticed a ring on Maka's finger that hadn't been there yesterday...

'Well, I'm glad they finally listened to what I've been saying all these years,' he thought smugly to himself. 'I mean, if _I _can see it, then clearly it must be fate, right?'

He briefly stopped what he was doing upon thinking that. '...Whoa, I think I just burned myself.'

Mental discussions aside, it was perhaps ten minutes before Shirou, who was currently working on cleaning one of the toilets (and thanking God that it was a requirement by Management to actually flush them or else be punished), looked over at Shinji, who was currently wiping one of the five mirrors in the bathroom.

"Do you ever miss it?"

"What, your talking?" Shinji asked sarcastically, "Because no, I wasn't."

"Don't be such an ass," Shirou muttered as he turned back to cleaning, but persevered nonetheless. "I meant, do you ever miss living in Fuyuki?"

He expected a biting retort, perhaps something along the lines of 'Like I miss cleaning shit? No.', but he was instead met with silence. The lack of squeaking also meant that Shinji had stopped wiping the mirror.

"Why do you insist on asking me that?" Shinji finally responded, though it was slightly lacking in venom.

"You've never given a completely straight answer," Shirou replied simply, looking back over his shoulder and observing Shinji's expression in the mirror's partly clean surface. "You always either brush it off or just change the subject, complete with that scowl like you're giving me just now."

Shinji just snorted and went back to wiping the mirror. Shirou waited for a little longer, then went back to scrubbing the toilet.

"...Yeah, I miss it a little. So what?"

Shirou stopped when he heard that, looking back toward Shinji, who had moved on to another mirror.

"Just because I don't like talking about it doesn't mean I don't miss it," Shinji continued, seemingly speaking more to himself than Shirou. "Walking in the parks, eating at the restaurants, shooting targets, reading books on Magecraft, are all that are things I miss about home. Heck, I even miss my adoptive sister a little, and she was going to take my place as the successor of the family; all because I didn't have the ability to use any of my family's Magecraft!"

Shirou was just silent, listening as Shinji sort of devolved into a bit of a rant, watching as he moved on to the wall and began to scrub it, at first slowly, then with increasingly frenzied movements.

"And then, seven years ago, my father sends me to study abroad in Hawaii, and what happens? I get a letter saying that my father and grandfather are dead, my home and inheritance gone up in flames, and said sister has now been taken back under her real family like, 'Oh well, this was a bust. Guess I can just go home now!' I'm left in Hawaii, practically an orphan and with nothing supporting me save money being sent from my family's bank accounts."

"You could have gone back, you know." Shirou added. "It's not like anything was stopping you."

Shinji stopped scrubbing for a moment, almost in thought. "Yeah, I could have," he admitted. "But back to what? Like I said, there was nothing for me there anymore. I was scared and confused. I couldn't bring myself to go back and see the truth for myself, so I stayed, eventually even adopted by a kind family. It wasn't the greatest life, but I was content."

"Then you got recruited," Shirou guessed.

"Let's say my first experience with OSG was a little bit more hands-on than yours. You were first visited... in a hospital, right? I got my first visit when my adopted family and I, on a brief trip to one of the smaller islands to visit relatives, were attacked by Dead Apostles and I watched the entire community, including the small family that took me in, all get turned into ghouls. I even killed two with a bow trying to save two other girls from being eaten or worse. I first learned about OSG when Father Anderson came out of nowhere and started slaughtering the ghouls like rats, exterminating them with ease."

"I can see where this is going," Shirou interjected as he finished scrubbing the toilet bowl, carefully removing the gloves he had used and tossing them into the disposal bin like they had all the diseases in the world on them. "You got hooked, didn't you?"

"I won't lie about that," Shinji admitted, as he place the mop back into the bucket. "To my twelve-year old mind, it was like a dream come true: An actual hero, saving innocents and striking down evil. I wanted to be like that, or at least as strong enough to defend myself in a similar fashion. So, through a combination of stubbornness, pleading, and stalking, I convinced him to bring me here, where Edgar sized me up and made me a member. Been here ever since for the past two years.

"But what do you really care?" Shinji finished simply. "What's done is done. I've never had the desire to go back, and I don't intend to. This place," he gestured outside towards the compound, "is my home now, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

Shirou was silent as he digested those words, then mentally debated with himself whether he should say the words that were floating around in his head right then.

"...You know..." he began slowly, "I've actually met your sister a few times."

Now it was Shinji's turn to stop and look back. "What?"

"Yeah," Shirou confirmed as he moved on to wash one of the other toilets, putting another pair of disposable gloves on, "Sakura's her name, right? I know about her and her sister Rin. We go to the same school together."

"So?" Shinji replied nonchalantly, though Shirou could sense an undercurrent of tension in his voice. "What about it?"

"She sometimes talks about how she wishes she could have gotten to know you better before you left, or even taken you in as an honorary member of the Tohsaka. She doesn't talk much about it though, apparently because she doesn't like to think about what happened during her time as a Matou, but she seemed really sincere about it," Shirou explained. "Just thought I'd throw out there that at least some people would have helped you had you gone back, and she's not quite the evil person your side of the story sort of paints her to be."

"...Still not going to," Shinji finally replied before returning his attention to the wall. "And I never said she was the villain, even if I didn't completely like her."

Shirou shrugged his shoulders, returning his full attention to the newest toilet.

"...And exactly how and why did she tell you about me?" Came Shinji's suspicious voice.

Shirou stopped, suddenly feeling a cold sweat break out for some reason.

"Oh you know," he began quickly, "I once helped her with something, and I sometimes see her and her sister Rin on occasion, we talk a little bit, I help them out like the selfless guy I am. We have a bit of a trust thing going on."

He left out that they and their mother occasionally ate over at his house, apparently because there was something very addictive about his cooking. He also left out how Rin occasionally got flustered around him when he complimented her, and Sakura just watched with a strangely ominous grin, though whether it was directed at Rin or not was beyond him.

"...Whatever," Shinji finally said, "It doesn't matter to me anyways."

Shirou mentally sighed in relief, then went back to work.

"...But thanks for telling me that anyways."

Shirou looked back at Shinji when he heard those words, but the boy had gone back to totally devoted to cleaning, his posture and handling of the washing supplies making it clear this conversation was over.

Still, Shirou couldn't help but smile a little on the inside.

That faded when a fresh wave of putrid smell assaulted his senses as he opened the toilet lid.

"God! People are supposed to flush these things!"

He heard Shinji chuckle in the background. "You volunteered for cleaning duty and chose the toilets, so don't blame me!"

Shirou turned back around to say something, eyes watering as he did so, but stopped when he thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye near the mirrors. For just a second, he thought he saw something blue.

Before he could confirm or deny, however, it disappeared.

'What was that?' he wondered, then rubbed his eyes on his clean sleeve, blinking before realizing there wasn't anything there. '...Eh, I guess it's nothing... yeah.'

He went back to cleaning the toilet.

* * *

**And so, another chapter done. Here, a little more bonding between Shirou and Shinji, plus Shirou has started learning to Trace!**

**For the record, no, he will not be totally broken when he finally makes it to the Fifth War against other Masters, so just throwing that out there.**

**By the way, you guys feel that Shinji's in character? I know that he no longer has Zouken around twisting him even further, but I got the feeling that the arrogance part was always there.**

**And once again, the phantom from before appears!**

**Once again everybody, follow, fav, and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_Let me tell you something: Dimensional hopping with the Second Magic as given by Zeltrech is not a walk in the park. First there's a tugging feeling on your gut, minor at first before getting increasingly harder and harder, then you have the sudden sensation of vertigo, like you spent too much spinning around in place, only multiplied by ten. Then comes a feeling of displacement, like you're both there and yet not really at the same time._

_Now imagine every part of your body suddenly screaming in agony as you're actually sent to another dimension, as the physical form tries to remain anchored in this one while simultaneously trying to establish a presence in an entirely alien one. (Un?)fortunately, you're only half-aware of this pain, mostly because your mind feels like it's on fire, being stabbed with shards of glass, and being torn apart all at the same time as it makes the transition between dimensions._

_This all occurs within mere seconds, which is the only reason you don't go insane in the process._

_That was my first experience with dimensional hopping, and let me tell you, it led me to spend a large portion of my later time, money, and brainpower devoted to figuring out a smoother and less painful way to do so._

_But back to the present (past?) time, after that mind-scarring experience, I found myself on my knees throwing up whatever happened to be my last meal on the ruined ground of what appeared to be the remains of a urban battleground. It was a small city that could probably house an average population, but I was only able to deduce that because so many buildings were collapsed that I could see the outer limits of the city from my arrival position, which was atop one of the unruined buildings._

_What disturbed me as I took in the sights however, was not the fact that the city was in ruins, but the fact that there was no noise. Even though whatever conflict that had struck this place appeared to be over, though for how long I had no idea, there were no cries of pain, no wails of sorrow or agony streaming through the streets. In fact, there was no sound that one would come to suspect of a war-torn city, or even of that of a city recovering. Everything was dead silent, as if any survivors had simply abandoned it._

_Even my very sight, far superior to most normal people, could spot no signs of life in any direction I looked._

_"And I'm supposed to find two dying people in all of this?" I muttered softly, "What kind of sick joke were you playing at, old man?"_

_It was partly my own fault, I supposed. Zeltrech may have sent me here, but it was I who gave permission to go, all because he played on my sympathy and deathseeker wish. Why couldn't he just have left me to die there?_

_'Because you couldn't bear the thought of someone dying because they were used as a tool,' he thought to himself. 'You just had to decide to be the big hero one more time.'_

_'And you couldn't bring yourself to break your wife's last promise,' a treacherous part of my mind whispered. 'You could never face her if you died by your own hand.'_

_My potentially questionable mental state aside, I kept looking. Finally, after what seemed like hours of searching that were in reality only minutes, I finally spotted an anomaly in the picture. Almost three miles away, I spotted a faint movement that, in the vast and almost eerie stillness of the rest of the town, was like a giant flare for my attention. Without a second thought, I jumped off the building and raced for the location at full speed, glad that my quest was about to be at an end._

_I made it there within minutes, and my eyes widened at the sight. In front of me were the two figures I assumed were my targets. The one who caught my attention first appeared to be the older of the two._

_He appeared to be in his thirties or so, with white skin, neck-length unkempt brown hair hanging down over his face as if in extreme exhaustion. Despite his hunched over position, he was of respectable height, and was clad in a rather strange outfit. It consisted of a white jacket outlined in black, with an upturned collar, a white hakama, black tabi (a sort of Japanese sock), and white sandals, about his waist was a black sash worn in a manner similar to a matador, and his right hand was covered with a white glove. From what I could see, his left hand was uncovered and had the number "1" tattooed on the back, and about his neck appeared to be some sort of white necklace in the form of a fanged bottom jaw. Completing the picture was the standard-sized katana sheathed at his side, which sported a pewter-colored rectangular guard, with small protrusions on each corner, and a sun-like design wrapped around the hilt's collar. The hilt itself was a yellow color, and the sheathe was a metallic-gold color._

_However, I noticed all of this only absentmindedly. What had my attention was the fact that the entire front of his jacket was crimson red with blood, most likely his own if that scar across the front of his chest and sternum was any indication, and he was barely staggering along, which was even more impressive when you take into account he was carrying the second person in his arms while doing so._

_Said person was the more odd-looking of the two, but unconscious. It was a young, thin girl in her teens, who had white skin and light green hair that reached her neck and arranged in a very basic manner, wearing what appeared to be some sort of white, horned helmet with the left horn cut off near the base and the right curving upwards. The left half of said mask covered said eye, with a flame design over the left eyehole._

_Her outfit, however, made her companion's looked positively normal. It consisted of white-colored briefs with a black line positioned in the middle, arm-warmers, a revealing vest with a high collar and thigh-high, fur-lined boots. Literally, a slight breeze would probably result in a wardrobe failure, and the only reason I'd say it would ever pass legal is because... honestly, she didn't have much to show under that, if you know what I mean.  
_

_Of course, my inspection wasn't quite complete, mostly because like her compatriot, she too had a similar scar across her chest, though hers at least appeared to have dried shut due to lack of movement. However, what I saw on her is what completely stumped me, being so out of place that I wasted precious seconds just staring._

_Right in the center of her solar plexus was a hole, perhaps slightly smaller than my own closed fist, that went clean through her body, as if someone had punched a perfect circle right through her. Despite this, she seemed to be suffering more from the gash across her chest, and there was no indication that the hole had been made recently. In fact, it looked like it had always been there, which sort of blew my mind for a second as she shouldn't even be alive with something like that.  
_

_In confusion, I looked back up at the man, my eyes drawn to him for any signs of a hole on his body as well. What I saw was, right in the center of the scar that ran across his chest, upon his sternum, another hole, this one perhaps the size of my closed fist or slightly larger. Again, he seemed more in pain from the cut than the hole._

_'Who the hell are these people?' I wondered to myself, then finally took a step forward towards them, deciding it didn't matter right now._

_However, my sudden movement appeared to finally attract the attention of the conscious one, as his head snapped up in surprise and his blue-gray eyes met my own. A multitude of emotions went across his face: Surprise, fear, resignation, then to confusion as he got a good look at both my clothing and my sword, then back to resignation._

_"Finally come to end it, Shinigami?" He asked me with a pain-laced voice, "Then at least make it quick, for both our sakes."_

_With that, all his remaining energy seemed to just leave his form, and he collapsed right in front of me, yet still making sure that his burden didn't fall flat on the ground hard._

_Not even taking a moment to reflect on his words, I raced forward to grab them, turning them over to get a good look at the injuries. The man's injury was even more deadly than I imagined. Not only was there the giant scar across his chest, the area around the hole in his chest was cut in several other areas and matted with even more blood, and he had what appeared to be a wound caused by a sword going through his chest just underneath it. As for the girl, luckily I could see no other injuries aside from the glaringly obvious one._

_"To keep going even like this," I breathed softly, staring at the unconscious man's pale face and internally gaining a new level of respect for him, "you must truly love this child."_

_I then looked down at my sword, grimacing slightly as I removed it from the sheath. The sword's pommel, grip, and lower half of the blade were seemingly constructed of pitch-black metal of the same color as my black armor, while the sword guard was of a rusty red. The upper half of the sword, however, was a blood-red crystal fashioned into the shape of a blade. My greatest weapon, __Belderiver. However, the crystal seemed to be getting too large for the rest of the sword, appearing a bit more like a sharpen club than a streamlined blade._

___"Let's see if you're right, old man," I muttered, then I lifted the blade up and over the two prone bodies. Putting my hand onto the crystal part, I concentrated, then ripped off a small chunk of crystal off of it. I then repeated the process, aiming for wherever an excess of crystal was._

___Now, before someone reading this starts screaming 'What the hell are you doing?', allow me to explain the mechanics of my sword. It's called a Psypher, weapons forged with special crystals as the blade. These crystals have a unique ability: Essentially, they can absorb spiritual energy, which is either found in minute amounts in the air, some forms of magical attacks, or after a person dies. These crystals absorb that energy, converting it into mass to make the crystal grow larger, which I suppose can be akin somewhat to the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy, which states that mass/energy is neither created nor destroyed, only transformed, except in a literal interpretation._

___Now, once a Psypher absorbs this energy, while it absorbs a majority for the purposes of growth as a weapon, becoming stronger, more deadly, and bigger, it can also convert some of it to the purpose of magical attacks, releasing it back out in a blast of pure Prana or even a specific form, like a cyclone. It can even release some of that spiritual energy in the form of Phozons, purple star-like diamonds for other purposes, or even uses that collected spiritual energy to heal the user._

___However, arguably the greatest asset a Psypher has is the fact that when an excess of crystal builds up, it can be removed and harvested, continuing the cycle. Said crystals can also be completely converted into energy, either for an extremely powerful attack or, as I intended to do now, used to even heal otherwise fatal injuries._

___Unfortunately, I didn't know at the time exactly how to do said conversion, so I tried another manner. After getting a fist full of red crystal, I, with great trepidation and carefulness, placed it within the hole in the young girl's body and along her scar, doing the same with a bigger supply to the other's prone form. With a small extra supply at my side, just in case, I then lifted my sword up and concentrated upon the red crystal._

___Suddenly, I found myself praying to a God I had long ago stopped believing in, hoping against hope this pathetic excuse for a healing would do the trick. Finally, with a last breath, I activated the Belderiver, forcing a small surge of magical energy into the crystals I had placed on both of them to start the conversion process. I watched passively as the crystals dissolved into Phozon energy, then with increasing trepidation as said energy was absorbed like a sponge into their bodies, allowing some slight hope to settle in as the horrific injuries began to seal up as if nothing had happened. Even the color began to return to their skin as they absorbed the energy._

___Quickly grabbing the remaining crystals I did the same thing, only exhaling as the wounds completely sealed up without a trace. Resheathing my sword, I decided to try and set up camp and watch the two of them until the morning._

___However, before I could do anything else, my eyes widened as the holes in their bodies began to disappear, almost as if the energy I had given them was actually sealing up the gaps. I watched with an almost morbid fascination as flesh and bone appeared and filled the void, eventually erasing any trace of the their existence in the first place. My fascination only increased as the white necklace disappeared as well, dissolving as if it was never there. The white helmet, on the other hand, simply fell off the girl's head, revealing that she had a similar flame tattoo over her left eye and eyebrow underneath it._

___However, the two of them made no reaction to the actions, though the girl did shift slightly in her sleep._

___"What in the world..." I muttered quietly._

___"Well, that went well," Came an increasing familiar yet still annoying voice out of nowhere. "I guess it's time to bring you all back!"_

___"Wha-" Before I could even complete the objection and question (What the hell did he mean 'you all'!?), the dreaded tugging on my gut started, and then the world faded away as Zeltrech brought us back to his dimension._

_Unbeknownst__ to me, that little trip was how I first met the two members of OSG that would eventually become known as Raymond and Lilynette (Lyn) Starrk._

_My first true friends._

**_OSG Headquarters (Two Weeks Later)_**

Shirou gasped in relief and happiness as he crawled out of the latest training course that Earl Harbinger had cooked up, thanking whatever God or gods that existed that it was finally over. He blinked once, hoping that it wasn't an illusion, then slowly got to his feet, shuddering at the recent memory.

'Please let me never go through that for real,' he mentally begged, then looked down at himself, 'I don't think I'll ever be clean again.'

"Enjoyed your trip through the Gut Crawl?"

He looked up at the familiar voice, seeing the face of Giro smiling down at him, clad in his usual wear. While he was sure the smile was meant to be a sign of pity, for Shirou's mind at that moment, it was more along the lines of sadistic torture.

"Please don't mention that name," he pleaded to the blond. "I'm already trying to avoid throwing up for the second time."

The Gut Crawl, as the name might suggest, consisted of a single trainee wiggling through a long section of pipe filled with cow entrails. Between the dark, the smell, the heat of the pipe and the horrible _squishiness _of it all, it was probably the worst experience of Shirou's young life, up to and including almost dying in that fire. Supposedly, it was meant as a test of a person's ability to deal with disturbing surroundings and still keep their wits. Personally, Shirou thought it was just Harbinger getting off on torturing them.

Three trainees just quit rather than do it, and Shirou, after getting stuck halfway down the pipe and covered in slime, feces and intestines, had envied them. At least one other got about halfway down before having a panic attack, unable to go any farther.

Giro laughed uneasily. "Well, Harbinger always was a firm believer in that the harder you sweat in practice, the less you'll bleed when it's for real."

Shirou just slowly lifted some unidentifiable piece of flesh that he seriously didn't want to know exactly what it was originally off his green body armor and let it drop to the ground. "Yeah, whatever," he muttered, then he looked back at Giro, trying to avoid using his nose to smell himself. "So, was there anything you wanted to talk about?"

Giro just scratched the back of his head. "Naw, just came to tell you that you got a package in your room that I just dropped off. It's from your foster mother."

Shirou's eyes widened in happiness as he nodded, remembering that Giro's official position was a transporter in OSG, which meant he was more or less in charge of the shipping and receiving of any packages to and from the place, including the mail.

"Thanks Giro, I'll get right to it!" he replied, then looked back down at himself, his enthusiasm fading slightly. "...After I get cleaned up, that is."

Giro chuckled. "No prob, Shirou. By the way, have you seen Jeanne recently?"

Shirou shook his head. The last time he had seen her was about three days ago, when she had taken a leave of absence. Coincidentally, that was the last time he had seen Giro as well...

"Uh Giro? If you don't mind me asking..." Shirou began curiously, "Where were you three days ago?"

He wasn't expecting a blush to start creeping across Giro's face. "I... was just hanging out with Jeanne, as good friends should."

Upon just innocent curiosity, Shirou's eyes briefly went to Giro's ring fingers, briefly catching sight of how there was one upon his right hand...

"Oh okay," he finally said simply. "I'll tell her that you're looking for her if I see her." 'And see if she has a similar ring while I'm at it...'

Giro nodded. "Thanks Shirou," he said, then walked away, making a beeline towards where Earl stood tall and strong like some sort of general, watching as several more unfortunate saps made it through the Gut Crawl.

Shirou briefly shuddered again, then made his way towards the showers.

_**With Giro**_

Giro stopped as he reached the familiar leather jacket-wearing blond man, silently watching for a moment as several more people made it out of the Gut Crawl, who then either just collapsed to their knees, threw up everywhere, or managed to keep going to make it to the showers, only sparing a few moments to shudder at what they had witnessed.

"You really do get off on torturing them, don't you?" Giro finally asked his drill-instructor companion, who turned to him with a judging expression.

"Hmph, this is nothing compared to the old training, G," Earl replied with a grin. "There, they had the honor of cutting the heads off rotting cadavers with a single chop!"

"A shame that this world isn't so merciful," Giro quipped sarcastically, "but I'm here for another reason than judging your admittedly effective methods."

"Oh? I thought you were just here to greet the kid and see if he knew where your wife was."

Giro then turned his full attention towards the totally innocent face of Earl Harbinger. "How did you-"

"Werewolf, remember?" he replied simply. "The perks almost outweigh the whole 'going-crazy-on-full-moons'."

Giro just sighed. "Yeah, like the whole 'regenerating lungs' bit, oh King of Werewolves."

"Yup," he agreed wholeheartedly as he brought out another cigarette and lit it, placing it into his mouth and taking an appreciative whiff, "No dying of lung cancer for me!"

"Anyways," Giro continued, trying to run the whole conversation back on track, "You know where Jeanne is?"

Earl took a meditative puff before answering. "Yeah, back inside the main building I think. Why? You got business with her?"

"Edgar has business with her and me," Giro replied simply, then grinned slightly, "And also you."

Earl looked at him funny. "What the hell does Edgar want with me?"

A shrug was his answer. "C'mon and we'll find out together."

Earl just stared at him for a few more seconds, then sighed. With an almost wistful moment, he threw the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under his boot. He then looked up at the few remaining people who were still on the field, waiting for their turn in the Gut Crawl.

"Alright you Newbies!" he yelled in his most commanding voice, stopping everyone's current activities. "Looks like I got to go somewhere, so we're stopping for the day. Thank God that some of you didn't go today, but you will be first thing tomorrow! 'Till then, get your asses in the showers!"

The remaining people immediately obeyed, all heading away from the field gratefully. Earl turned back to Giro.

"All right," he grumbled, "but this had better be good."

_**Thirty Minutes Later, Barrack's Room**_

Shirou, now clad in more casual wear, sniffed his arm cautiously, face scrunched up in confusion. Satisfied, he lowered his limb slowly.

"Darn it. Three showers, five different soaps and cold water later, and I still feel dirty," he muttered quietly to himself, then turned his attention to the package, perhaps the size of a book, located on his bunk.

The room that Shirou called home during the summer months was a simple place, consisting of a small bedroom with a single two-bed bunk bed, with his mattress on the bottom. The top bunk belonged to Shinji, who made the whole room his place during the time Shirou was away. In fact, the only things that really belonged to Shirou in the room were a few books, his cutlass located near the bed, and some items that he practiced Reinforcement and Tracing upon.

"Well, let's see what was so important for her to send me that it couldn't wait a few more weeks."

He fiddled with the box for a moment, then gave up and grabbed a pair of scissors, cutting the tape apart. Having dealt with that, he then opened the box, wondering just what he had been sent. Within the box were two things: A letter and a book titled: A History of Legendary Weapons and Their Wielders: Both Mythological and Historical.

He first opened the letter. He quickly realized that it had been penned by Maiya, as he recognized her specific writing.

_Shirou,_

_If you're wondering who sent you this, let it be known that it was Taiga who bought it and forced me to send it to you. She noticed how you seemed to take an interest in legendary heroes almost a year ago, and decided that if you were going to take swordsmanship as a hobby, you might as well combine the two of them together._

_I tried to tell her to wait until you came back, but she couldn't contain herself. She practically begged on her knees for me to send this to you. I gave in, as much as I hate to admit it._

_I'll be expecting thank-yous, both for me sending this and her buying it._

_From,_

_Maiya_

Shirou looked over the letter one more time, then carefully folded it back up.

"...Thanks Mom," he finally said, "Thanks Fuji-nee."

Looking over at the book, he lifted it up, crossed his legs on his bunk, and opened it to the first page.

"Arondight: The Unfading Light of the Lake," he read quietly to himself. "The sword of Sir Lancelot du Lac..."

_**OSG Hallways**_

Earl, Giro, and Jeanne, whom the later had found after some more searching, made their way down the hall towards the science lab, all three moving with a small sense of urgency. The first turned his head towards the second, a confused look on his face.

"Remind me again: Why Edgar did need me with the whole 'dimensional interference' schick?" The older man asked simply. "You know very well I have zero luck with those fancy machines."

"I have to agree with him, Giro," Jeanne added with a slightly worried expression. "Neither of us have any experience with the machine. Why does he need us?"

Giro just sighed. "Look, I have no idea why he told me to get you two. He just said for me to grab both you and come back. Something about something going wrong in the lab."

"Christ," Earl muttered. "What could be so wrong that you'd need us? Is the damn thing gonna explode?"

"Not exactly."

The three stopped when they heard a new voice interrupt them. In front of them, a browned-skinned, dark cerulean-haired, beautiful young woman in a suit looked at them with an uncharacteristically worried face. Her stance was one of someone who liked being informed about things, and the lack of said information disturbed her greatly.

"Chryssie," Earl greeted her, though his tone briefly indicated some hint of disgust as he said it. "I didn't think I'd see you here."

"Called here same as you, Earl," she returned without missing a beat, though her tone held some irritation. "You shouldn't be surprised, or has your nose failed you after so many years?"

Earl looked like he was about to say something that shouldn't be said in polite company, but Giro stopped him with an outstretched hand. "Enough, both of you," he ordered, then looked back at the official spy of the organization. "Well C, what's wrong?"

She briefly glanced at all three of them, then turned around, gesturing them to follow. "I'm not entirely certain myself..."

"That's a big surprise..." Earl muttered sarcastically.

Chryssie glared at him over her shoulder, but continued nonetheless. "...but apparently, when Edgar ordered the good Doctor to open the dimensional portal, something went wrong."

Jeanne cocked her head slightly in confusion. "Care to elaborate on that something?"

"What, did something on the other side try to interfere with the portal?" Giro asked worriedly. He had never seen them for himself, but there were at least a few cases where something on the other side of the portal tried to come on through, often being something not entirely friendly or sentient. That was one of the reasons why there was always supposed to be someone in the lab on standby in case.

"No," Chryssie responded. "Well, not entirely so."

"What the hell do you mean?" Earl finally asked, his curiosity overpowering whatever prejudice he had towards her. "Did something interfere or not?"

"Yes, something did, but not at the location Edgar was trying to go to."

"What?"

They finally made it to the doors of the lab. Though things seemed rather calm from their end, they smelled electricity coming from behind the door, as well as someone shouting orders.

"Get a medical team ready, just in case!" came Edgar's voice. "I don't want to take any chances, even with the crystals!"

Chryssie placed her hand on the door, then hesitated for a moment. "For a moment, let's imagine all the alternate dimensions, even the alternate versions of this one, being separated by a vast state of nothingness, or perhaps, more accurately, where the various worlds and timelines intersect with each other," she began. "Imagine it like the night sky, with the stars being the different worlds, and the pitch black sky this nothingness. There are different names for this place: Astral Chaos, The Void, The Howling, The Abyss, The Ginnungagap, The Rift, The Expanse, The Nether, The Boundary; but all ultimately refer to the same thing."

"The Second Magic, which both Zeltrech and our dimensional portal rely upon, serves the purpose of connecting these alternate worlds by creating a passage through this Void or using one of these intersecting areas, upon which we can either travel through ourselves or even take things from the worlds we travel to. Of course, Zeltrech has far greater control and power over it than we can ever hope to replicate, which is why he can do whatever the hell he wants with it and almost instantly, and we're stuck with using it once every seven or so years at minimum to avoid unpleasantness with the World."

"Yeah, and?" Earl asked, eager to just hear the last of this.

"While we call the Void a state of nothingness, that's not entirely accurate. There appears to be some form energy or power deep within that controls it, or perhaps is the very source of its existence. But more to the point of what I'm getting at: Occasionally, whenever a dimensional rupture occurs, mass from that universe can fall into the Void. Hell, if in the event of a dimension completely collapsing in on itself, the residual mass will spill out into it. In fact, the collective mass within the Void is potentially greater than all that within a hundred-thousand different dimensions and timelines."

"Thing is, I suppose the place's just so vast that we don't often encounter it during travel," Giro guessed. "Otherwise, I guess dimensional travel would be a hell of a lot harder than it is."

Chryssie nodded. "Indeed. According to what Edgar once said, Zeltrech has used the Second Magic countless times, yet has admitted to only encountering perhaps fifteen or so objects in his passage through the Void, barring areas where he passed near dimensional rifts that sent mass directly into it."

"And we use the portal much less than Zeltrech ever has," Jeanne added. "and never once encountered such an object floating about."

"...Until today, right?" Earl finished.

Chryssie looked at all of them, then sighed. "Once again, half-right."

"What do you mean, woman?" Earl asked impatiently. "Stop with the riddles and get to the point! Did we find something or not?"

"Yes, the dimensional portal intercepted something within the Void, that much is true."

"So?" Jeanne pushed. Something was obviously wrong if Chryssie was dancing around the issue like this.

Chryssie's face briefly shifted back to when they had first seen her, the face of someone who didn't like not knowing about something, then she turned back around, opening the doors for them to pass through. "No one, Zeltrech included, has ever found someone that was alive within it either."

* * *

**And so, the plot thickens! Just what did OSG find within the Void, or should I say the Boundary, and how will it affect Shirou?**

**Answers will be revealed next time, but let it be known that whoever it is will hold some importance to Shirou in the long run.**

**Trust me, I have a plan!**

**Again, my viewers, remember to follow, fav, and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_I made camp that night in the ruins what I assumed were an old church that night, one of the many casualties of the great battle for that miracle I spoke of earlier. As of yet, no one on the outside had gone to investigate the carnage, no doubt reasoning that anything of value would still be there in a few days._

_By my side, wrapped in blankets I had scavenged from the place, were my two 'companions' from my recent excursion to another dimension, sleeping their lives away as they recovered from their injuries._

_I almost laughed. It was almost one day since the end, yet to me it felt as if a lifetime had passed. I had fought and lost to an all-powerful, crazy-as-hell magician, traveled to an entirely different _world, _saved the lives of two beings who were more than likely not human (I quickly realized upon some observation that the horned helmet on the girl's head was in fact real bone and had been seemingly fused to her very skin!), and now was waiting for them to wake up and hopefully not try and blast me to hell._

_"You shouldn't worry so much," said the previously mentioned, all-powerful, crazy-as-hell magician from the other side of the fire I had kindled earlier, warming his hands in front of it. "You'll find that they are rather decent people, though the little one has quite a bit of spunk to her."_

_I scowled at him. Although I had no true need of it, I decided it would be best to make a fire for my unconscious guests to stay warm. On the other hand, that offer did not extend to this man._

_"What the hell are you still doing here, old man?" I asked with an annoyed tone. "Don't you have other lost souls to torment?"_

_He frowned, almost like a child. "I have a name, you know."_

_"You never gave it."_

_His eyes widened as he slapped himself lightly. "Of course, how rude of me! No wonder you're so cross with me, aside from the whole, 'no risk of dying' bit."_

_"Yeah, I'm a little miffed about that," I replied, gesturing to the sleeping forms beside me. "The only living things I encountered, for a given value of living at the time, were these two right here. Unless you were referring to 'death by falling masonry', I was completely fine."_

_He sighed. "Well, as to my name, it is Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, Wizard Marshal and wielder of the Second Magic called Kaleidoscope, the ability to observe and travel between parallel worlds and even to entirely different dimensions. You may refer to me as Zelretch."_

_"Well then... Zelretch," I began slowly, "Mind telling me exactly why you've taken such an interest in me?"_

_He looked at me quizzically. "What? I just told you my name, and that I'm a vampire, an extremely powerful magician and capable of traveling to entirely different planes of existence, and all you question is why I'm hanging around with you?"_

_"Did I stutter?" I answered simply. "I've dealt with all that before, save the vampire bit, and I've faced worse than monsters than that."_

_His face cleared in realization. "Oh, because you aren't of... ah yes, the Grail provided you with the information..."_

_A rush of irrational anger hit me when he said 'Grail'. Without hesitating, I drew my sword and pointed it at him. "Don't mention that damned thing again," I muttered darkly._

_He looked entirely unfazed by my declaration, probably because he could smash my ass into the ground without trying if I attempted to attack. Still, he nodded. "If you insist."_

_I lowered my sword. "Back to what I was asking..."_

_"To the point, are you? All right then..." he began as he shifted his position slightly, probably to get comfortable. "It's quite simple really. By your own admission, you're an existence that shouldn't be here anymore, yet still are. You're an anomaly in this world, and for me, someone who has seen, despite so many changes, so many things play out the same way, even after traveling to dozens upon dozens of different worlds, it's a refreshing change of pace."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because you have the potential to change things in such a way that nothing will be the same again in this world," he answered me. "Call me crazy, but I want to see what sort of changes you can bring. I'll even help you get started, if you desire."_

_I snorted. "Spare me the pleasantries. I don't want to do any of that. I want to die and be with the woman I love."_

_"Even after everything you've gone through recently? You're not even supposed to be in this world with the loss of the miracle, true, yet here you are. Don't you think that's a sign you're meant to do more with your new lease on life?" He then gestured towards the two sleeping figures next to me. "You're just gonna leave them to there, in a world they have no knowledge of? As you may have guessed, they aren't human, nor anything this world has ever seen: Amalgamations of suffering souls given a single form, able to interact with those who have strong spiritual senses, now given living bodies once more by absorbing the phozon crystals, the very essence of life, into their bodies. They'll die here, or worse, be experimented on by those who want to know what they really are."_

_"Don't you guilt-trip me," I warned him angrily, "You're the one who sent me to save them in the first place."_

_"And what about your promise to your wife?" he added seriously, his words smashing into me like a hammer. "She wanted you to live and be happy. How will you face her in the afterlife if you just die like that, without even trying?"_

_"How the hell did you-"_

_"I once observed your world, or rather an alternate version, with the Kaleidoscope, and saw you and your wife make a similar pact. I simply guessed that you went through something similar when I first saw you, otherwise you would have stabbed yourself without __hesitation." He replied simply. "And here you are, being offered such a chance, a chance to find happiness again, to make a difference, if not for the world, then at least for those two sleeping next to you, and you're refusing to take it? That a betrayal if I ever heard one."_

_I wanted to say something in return: a rebuttal, an insult, a threat. I wanted to strike at this damned old geezer, to teach him that I didn't give two shits what he thought about me and my decisions. But when I opened my mouth, words refused to take form, and when I tried to move my body, actions refused to be followed._

_For the longest of moments, I just sat there and glared at Zeltrech, who stared back with a calm, yet slightly accusatory gaze, completely unfazed at the only action my body would let me throw at him._

_In the end, it was I who looked away._

_"Goddamnit," I muttered quietly._

_Zeltrech's gaze softened slightly. "Now that you're willing to see-"_

_You know, I sometimes hear about how you should approach a problem with rationality and calmness. Even when everything goes to hell, it never does anyone good to just explode in a rant of anger. As a civilized person, one has the obligation to approach a problem without freaking out, but to look at it with an objective eye. Some call it 'quiet dignity and grace' as I would later learn._

_Admittedly, Zeltrech had given me some very good reasons to not kill myself, and I have to say that a lot of my currently churning emotions were really just caused by my own personal anger at being proven wrong by him._

_Still, he had just guilt-tripped me, so I used that as my justification for my next action, weak as it may have been._

_With all the 'quiet dignity and grace' I could muster, I brought my fist back and moved to sock Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg, one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, Wizard Marshal and wielder of the Second Magic called Kaleidoscope, right in the face._

_And I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel pretty damn good in the process._

**_OSG Headquarters (Lab)_**

Edgar Silverstein was a hard man to surprise. Having faced down things that would drive most normal beings insane, and doing other things that most would see as insane or impossible, it was rather hard to be surprised by much.

However, faced down with what was currently lying on a hospital bed, he honestly had to say this was a new addition to the amount of times he had been surprised in recent memory.

The thing in question was a human being... at least, that was what the general consensus of whatever the hell they had pulled out of the Void was. It had the appearance of a girl in perhaps her early teens, with slightly sunken eyes (they couldn't tell what color due to them being closed), a tan complexion, and long, light blond hair with an ahoge and tied into a braid held together with, of all things, a large silver blade. She was wearing what appeared to be black and grey-white, futuristic and what he could only describe as sword-themed armor, with some bright yellow highlights here and there, particularly around the upper thighs, shoulders, and the area between the later and the elbows.

However, he could tell whatever she was really was, she was certainly meant for combat, as a closer inspection of her armor would show.

Two black, silver-edged blades were attached to the undersides of her arms, and there was silver armor that completely covered her legs save for a space where she could properly bend her knees in the direction she needed to go, with a thin silver blade completely covering the front of said armor on each leg so that any kick would have devastating effects. Said blade was actually what would really touch the ground as she walked, due to the fact that the armor completely covered her feet, ending as sort of a blunted triangle shape that would drag across the ground and do some serious damage when used on an enemy.

And of course, he certainly couldn't ignore the set of eight black, yellow-edged blades that seemed to attach to her back in sort of a wing-like formation, four on each side. Even with her unconsciousness, said blades were all near her side, four on each side of the bed on the ground.

Honestly, he was beginning to think the consensus should be either 'cyborg' or 'artificial human'.

Earl stood next to him, simply staring at the newcomer's face as the machines hooked up to her occasionally beeped, the only sign she was actually in any way alive.

"...Wow."

Edgar turned to look at Earl. "That's it? The entire English language, and quite a few words in other languages, and all you have to say is 'Wow'?"

Earl didn't turn to look at him. "What else is there to say? We find something floating around in the Void between dimensions, something that's still alive, for a given value of alive, at that, and it looks like it came straight out of some sort of sci-fi show? What else needs to be said?"

"Aren't you curious about anything else? Who she was, where she came from?" Giro interjected, coming up behind them to stare for a few moments as well. "What the hell happened to her?"

"Well, whatever happened to her obviously wasn't pretty," Earl responded. "Don't you remember what we saw?"

All three men collectively flinched. While only Edgar had been there to witness it happen in full, Earl and Giro having arrived with Jeanne and Chryssie near the end, they had all seen the state that the bedridden figure in front of them had been in when she had finally emerged from the portal. Her armor had been cracked several places, all but three of her blades chipped or outright destroyed, and blood had caked a good deal of her body, with her back practically covered in it. That last bit made sense, as Doctor Ciel revealed that she had two deep, practically fatal wounds in that area. Even using several Phozon crystals hadn't been enough to fully heal the injuries, which was why she was currently hooked up to the machines here.

"Still, I'm surprised she hasn't stirred once in all this time," Giro admitted. "I mean, I know whatever happened to her was brutal, but if it wasn't for those machines showing an occasional beep, I would have sworn she was dead. I don't even think she's breathing."

"Me too," Earl agreed. "I mean, aren't those crystals supposed to be like the ultimate healing items? Yet she still looks like she belongs in a morgue rather than here."

Edgar just continued to watch for a few moments. "...Yeah." He then turned to the two of them. "You guys get going to whatever it is you were doing before all this, just like Jeanne and Chryssie. I'm gonna stay here for a little bit."

Earl nodded. "Right then."

Giro looked slightly more reluctant, but nodded as well. "Take care, Edgar."

The two walked away and left the room. Edgar didn't move until he heard the sound of the door shut behind them.

He sighed, then, without looking behind him, simply said, "So Dr. Ciel, mind telling me what you've found from looking at our guest?"

Said person walked up and stood next to him, staring at the comatose figure. In all the time he had come to know her, Edgar respected her knowledge and ability, being the person who ultimately perfected the risky technology and magic of dimensional hopping, as well as being the one who was responsible for allowing Giro to fight at his full strength. She was brilliant in the greatest sense of the word, yet also humble about it: The perfect combination in his eyes.

"Well, I can tell you what we've already confirmed. She's definitely not human. I think the best way to describe her would be what happens when someone creates an artificial human and integrates it with technology. However, there are a few things odd about her."

Edgar looked at Ciel. "What things?"

"It would appear that this particular AH," Ciel began, using the shortened term for 'Artificial Human', "was more or less designed as a prototype, a specimen meant to be studied and experimented upon in order to improve upon the design. My scanners indicate there are some traces of prior experimentation: scarring on several parts of her body and even traces of electrical exposure; however, I can't confirm that, mostly due to the condition of her mental state."

"Tell me more about that."

She nodded. "In due time. However, my studies suggest that she was eventually restored for usage in battle, and if the condition of her body and weapons are any indication, she saw quite a bit before her current state. How she ended up in the Void is beyond me though. Perhaps her opponent threw her into a dimension rift after fatally injuring her, or perhaps she did so herself to stop a threat. I'm not entirely certain, even though she apparently died taking the bullet for someone."

Edgar looked back at the subject of their conversation, in particular at her face. Staring at her young, strangely innocent face, he frowned. "What I want to know is how was she supposed to use those blades by her side," he said, gesturing towards the damaged swords on the ground. "I don't think she was supposed to hold them."

"I believe that she had a form of controlling them by making them float, probably by exerting her power on them, and then manipulating them as necessary," Ciel replied, then gestured at her feet. "She would probably use a similar way of moving, as I can't see her making much progress on walking with that armor on. However, she likely couldn't do so now even if she could wake up."

"Why do you say that?"

"She lacks a power source." Noticing his confused glance, she elaborated. "When I say 'power source', I mean she lacks any sort of ability to actually manipulate her weapons or powers while in that armor. My scanners indicate she had some sort of engine installed in her body at some point, most likely to serve that purpose, but now it's gone. If she took the armor off, she would be able to move around and act as any normal person, but she would be just that, a normal person."

Edgar nodded, then stopped. "Wait... earlier you said that 'even if she could wake up'. What did you mean by that?"

Ciel sighed. "Well, that's where things start getting complicated. I think the best way to start this would be like this: Is that girl even alive?"

Edgar stopped, then looked at her as if she had just grown a second head. "What are you talking about?" He gestured towards the machines. "Of course she's alive, if only barely. I was actually afraid the crystals wouldn't help her the way she was..."

Ciel stopped him. "You're partly right."

"What?"

"Physically? Yes, she is alive, as those machines can attest to and your crystals have successfully done. However, in terms of spiritually? She as dead as a seventy year-old corpse."

"What?" Edgar repeated, not quite understanding what Ciel was saying. "How can she be both dead and alive?"

"She's an empty shell, Edgar," Ciel replied. "She's completely dead inside. Any trace of the person who may have once been this girl is either completely gone or buried under a deep layer of subconscious. For all I can tell, she might have been developed like this. And when I tried to use the mind probe to try and find _something_, all I got were fractured memories that may or may not even be really hers."

"Did you find anything?"

"All I found out was her name, a few scraps of battles, some recollection of whatever the hell happened to her during that supposed experimentation," as she said that, she shuddered a little, "the person who restored her to fighting capacity, and her last moments before everything else becomes a complete blank. And even of what I mentioned, most of it's jumbled and might even be corrupted."

"Was there anything clear?"

"Aside from her name and last moments? No."

"...What was her name?"

"Lambda," Ciel replied. "Lambda-11."

Unknown to the two of them, a presence, a shadow without anything giving it form, watched the proceedings with something resembling curiosity. However, even if they had known of the shadow's presence, they would have paid it little alarm, as they would both soon forget all about it.

"Essentially, she lacks a soul," Ciel continued on. "She needs one in order to actually get off that bed and not be some sort of vegetable. But even if we found some wayward soul," she then noticed how Edgar seemed to be staring at the comatose girl with some strange new interest, quickly realizing what he was thinking, "and _assuming_ we could convince her to _willingly_ bind her soul to it, I don't know what would happen afterwards. The body might reject it, or the soul might have an overload from absorbing the memories the body's previous host, which I must remind you aren't very pleasant, the great majority of which."

To her worried state of mind, the look of interest only softened slightly. "The risks are great, true, but don't you think this girl, if she truly has suffered as you've said, would jump at the opportunity to be alive and with those who would never do such a thing to her again? And wouldn't said wayward soul be joyous at the chance to be alive again in the flesh as well?"

"It's still a big gamble..." Ciel warned.

"I see opportunity for two suffering beings who could have another shot at happiness." Edgar replied with conviction. "And even if it fails... well, things will not have changed much, will they?"

"Aside from potential insanity... nope." Ciel deadpanned.

"Would it not be the greater crime to sit here and know we did nothing?" Edgar asked her. "That we let an opportunity like this to save a friend slip by?"

She looked at him, then back at the comatose girl, then sighed. "...I guess you're right. I can't just leave her here and do nothing about it." She then looked at Edgar's hopeful face. "But do you even know the proper way to meld a soul with a new body?"

Edgar was silent for a moment, then his face fell.

"Yeah, thought so..." Ciel replied, while brushing a hand through her blond hair. "I guess we'll have to put it off until you do some research on that."

"Yeah, I guess so," Edgar muttered, then he turned around to walk out. "Just keep an eye on her, okay? Maybe she'll wake up without us doing anything."

Ciel just watched him go, then sighed to herself when he shut the door behind himself. "Seriously, you put such effort in making yourself out to be the big and intimidating boss, yet underneath all that you're still a kind person."

She then glanced once more at the comatose girl, then looked down at a small device in her hands that would warn her if anything changed.

"See you later, Lambda."

She then turned around and walked into her inner office that also doubled as her living/sleeping quarters, both to get some sleep and analyze the data she had collected on both her subject and the dimensional portal.

_**Several Hours Later (That**** Night)**_

Silence reigned throughout the lab, only the occasional _beep _from the machines hooked up to Lambda's form breaking through the quiet.

Not a single living being was inside, and with Ciel asleep in her quarters and the lab doors locked, no one could get inside anyways.

However, just because no one living was inside didn't mean that no one was still there.

The shadow which had watched and listened to Edgar and Ciel's talk finally bothered to glide over to the comatose being on the bed, then simply stared at her, as if trying to come to a decision. A decision that it had been debating to itself for the past hours.

If one was to look at the being floating there from a certain angle, they likely would have seen nothing. If they looked at it from another angle, they would have seen a human-shaped shadow that had no corresponding image. Yet another angle would show a ghostly skeleton, and another a smoky version of said skeleton. But the true form of the shadow, if one at it from just the right angle, at perhaps just slightly before the corner of your peripheral vision, would appear as a young girl of perhaps 13-14 years of age, with short blue hair and similarly matching eyes. Her outfit appeared as a blue and white dress that seemed to be meant for quick moment and flexibility, if the way it lacked any spare 'fruffles', the inclusion of the short skirt, and that she could probably run it easily were any indication. Partially obscuring her form was a white cape that went to her knees, which added an air of heroism to the look. Yet even then, her image would seemingly flicker, as if she couldn't decide whether she wanted to be seen or not.

Now, before one could try and say something, what floated near the bed of Lambda-11 was not some ghost or spirit of the past haunting the world. Rather, it would be more accurate to call it an 'echo', a facsimile of a living being created by magic or intense emotions. Unlike spirits, they do not possess any real memories of their original selves, or rather, what they do remember is jumbled and fragmented. Really, they could just be called existences given physical(?) form by accidents involving magic and very intense emotions such as despair. They lack any true ability to interact with the mortal world, save the most powerful ones, and even being sighted by others only lasts so long, as like echoes, they eventually fade from the memory of any who encounter them, save those who had extremely strong attachments to the 'original self'.

They are not Wraiths, as those are literally the souls of dead humans that have remained due to past grudges or regrets and are, as a rule, generally much stronger than a respective Echo, due to still being the original self. They are also not, though still strikingly similar to, Apparitions, fragments of a departed soul gathered together to form the traditional 'ghost', as they are more whole and self-aware despite being a simple 'copy' of the soul, capable of channeling their powers better as well as greater interaction with others, even capable of some level of higher thought.

However, the existence of an 'echo' is a sad one, which is why so few persist: Many will often fade away due to the process of their creation; if there was a lack of magical energy or intense emotion used, they won't last long. Even those that do survive that eventually choose to dispose of themselves, due to inescapable pressure of loneliness as no one acknowledges or forgets them.

An example of one such 'echo', or rather of a Wraith (as they are similar enough to be used synonymously to a degree) that survived and endured would be the Dead Apostle Ancestor called Stanrobe Calhin, who, even after being destroyed by the Church, still exists in the form of a wraith and retains a majority of his destructive power. He has at least 200 years before he completely and utterly dissipates, but he's a more extreme example than most, due to his creation being slightly different than the norm and sheer power.

This echo, however, persevered for almost 22 years, having been created by a massive flux of both magical energy and intense emotion of her original self. In that time, she had wandered the halls of this place countless times, occasionally interacting with its inhabitants and enjoying both conversations and scares, even knowing that they would eventually forget them. She had even watched with interest when that red-headed boy (Shirou, wasn't it?) first joined and began training, feeling like she should know something about him, though she had never interacted with him due to feeling strange whenever she saw the sword he carried.

However, none of these things could give her the thing she desired: True companionship, real friends. In the end, she was just smoke and shadow; not even a true existence.

And now, she had learned, quite by accident, that this thing in front of her needed a soul, something to give it the ability to move and breath again freely. She had spent the hours prior to this attempting to gather the courage, to rationalize that this was the chance she had been looking for: To finally be her own person.

But doubt held her back: What if it failed? What if something happened to either of them in the process? Would she effectively disappear as a separate existence, finally forgotten? Was it right to do this?

For a brief moment, a half-forgotten memory blossomed in her mind. She knew not to whom the words were addressed to, but she realized the voice was her own (her original self's?).

_...If I regret my decision now, the feelings upon which it was based will be for naught._

The shade stopped and thought about those words. Well, perhaps 'thought' was too strong a word. Just like the body, an echo's mind is just as unstable and insubstantial, unable to form completely coherent thoughts, at least, not to a normal person. It didn't so much as think and do as just _do, _relying on instinct and half-formed memory to guide actions. The very reason she spent so much time waiting that she couldn't decide to act on the instinct to be recognized or the memories of what is right and wrong.

She recalled what she wanted, then what Edgar and Ciel had said. Finally, she remembered how Edgar's face had brightened upon hearing what Ciel had last said, and the realization of who he was implying to be used.

And then she came to her decision.

Looking down at the figure on the bed, she lifted one arm and thrust it into the girl's chest, forcing her way in.

* * *

**Yeah, I thought about this for awhile, and I finally figured how I was gonna put that phantom mentioned earlier and this together. Now, you might be wondering if any of this has any significance on the plot, and yes, it does... in a sort of roundabout way, but it does connect together.**

**Hopefully, those answers will be revealed next chapter.**

**Remember, keep reviewing, faving, and following!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_Some of you reading this probably think I got my ass handed to me for that little trick, or maybe even sent to another dimension in righteous anger. Because no matter how easy-going a person might be, no one responds well to getting punched in the face, and Zeltrech probably would have sent me to the ground._

_That didn't happen though. Mostly because my punch didn't even connect._

_I'm not even entirely certain what happened. One moment my fist is flying towards his face, the next I'm flat on the ground with him shaking his wrist as if he had just sprained it._

_"You seriously don't know when to give up, do you?" he asked me. "Glad I'm used to people trying to punch me when I make them angry, it's let me be able to see the early signs."_

_I tried to say something in return, but I was overcome with a sudden sense of tiredness. Zeltrech noticed my sudden change in demeanor and then shrugged. "Oh, you're tired. Well, you've more or less been fighting non-stop for quite a while now, and you have a normal body again, so that's a problem. I guess it's not the best time to extend my offer just yet..."_

_"What... the hell are you... talking about?" I got out groggily as the urge to just shut my eyes got stronger and stronger. God, I hadn't felt so tired in years. __Dimly, I noticed him look at me as if he just realized I was still there listening._

_"Oh, don't worry your head about it right now," he said with a dismissive wave. "Take some time to clear your head, see the sights this world has to offer you! I'll see you again some other time."_

_"Don't... you..." I muttered before my eyes closed against my will._

_The last thing I heard was Zeltrech's words of: "Oh, my mistake. When I see you three again, terribly sorry about that. Hope you guys have fun!"_

_Yeah, it was one hell of a day._

_**OSG Headquarters: Lab**_

Morning came, and within the lab that contained the comatose figure of Lambda-11, all was peaceful and quiet. No sign of the events that happened yesterday and last night were visible anywhere, and aside from the unconscious artificial human and the occasional beeps from the machines hooked to her, nothing was out of place in the quiet.

However, if one was to see the inside of said comatosed girl's mind, it would be a different story.

_Loading... loading... loading... emergency reinitialization complete. Prime Field Device No. 11 "Lambda-11" online._

_Core online... reactivation on standby-mode._

_Beginning self-diagnosis... complete. Damage levels at 91%. Beginning auto-repairs..._

**Error.**_ Previous damage restored over unprecedented time... Begin reevaluation... complete. Damage levels at 13%, main body at 87% capacity._

_Wing-blades A, C, and G in need of moderate repairs. Wing-blades B and I in need of total repair._

_Internal IDEA Engine missing... combat capabilities at 18%. Unwise to proceed with any potential engagement._

**Warning.** _Unknown source of energy detected within body. Does not match any prerecorded sources... Threat to internal functions... D. Potential replacement for IDEA Engine... Scanning... Compatible with moveset... combat capabilities at an estimated 53%. Require future testing before confirmation._

_Begin reactivation process regardless? _**Yes.**

_...Acknowledged. Beginning reactivation protocols._

**Error.** _Memory corruption imminent due to forced emergency reinitialization. Delete all previous memory, including fractured ones?_

**Yes.**

_...Acknowledged... memory wipe successful. Continuing reactivation..._

The only indication anything was happening on the outside was the fact that occasional _beep _on the machines hooked to Lambda started to get stronger and faster. However, even this was enough to activate the beeper that Ciel kept near her in sleep.

Eyes snapping open, as she was often a light sleeper even with her work, she looked at it quickly, understanding what it meant. Jumping out of her bed, only stopping long enough to put a lab coat and slippers on over her pajamas, she quickly rushed out of her room and office.

_Reactivation complete... Begin wake-up procedure._

Ciel just made it out in time to watch Lambda-11 open her deep red eyes and glance around in confusion. Even more surprising for the former when the later slowly reached for the breather mask on her face with one hand and pulled it off.

"Wait!" Ciel yelled, hoping that she could get Lambda's attention before she did something to injure herself. Healed her body itself may have been, but the crystals did occasionally have side-effects, such as affecting the muscles or vertigo, not to mention Ciel had no idea what sort of state Lambda's mental health was right now.

Thankfully, Lambda did just that, one hand still holding the breather mask as she cocked her head at Ciel, like a child who had just been caught by an adult doing something naughty.

Ciel sighed, then looked the bedridden figure over for a moment. 'Why is she awake all of a sudden?' she wondered to herself. 'She shouldn't even be conscious, much less able to move.' However, she then shook her head. "Can you understand me?" she asked the blonde, much like she would to a child. "Nod if you do."

Lambda did just that. Ciel relaxed slightly, then slowly walked forward, keeping her eyes on the sharp arm blades that slightly glinted in the artificial lighting. "That's good." She then placed a hand on her chest. "My name is Dr. Ciel. What's yours?"

For a moment, there was only silence as Lambda stared at Ciel. That moment stretched into uncomfortableness as she held the gaze, and Ciel seriously considered whether or not her patient could even speak.

However, Lambda proved her wrong.

"Lambda-11, Prime Field Device No. 11," she replied. The voice was surprisingly beautiful but also soft and quiet. What disturbed Ciel slightly though was the emotionless tone that inflected her every word, as well as the machine monotone that she delivered it in.

"Do you feel alright?"

"...Systems operating at functional capacity," she replied in the same tone.

Ciel wondered whether she should say that wasn't what she meant, but stopped when saw the blades that had been lying next to her bed suddenly shivered and float upwards, assuming a wing-formation on either side of her. For a moment, Ciel felt a burst of panic in her chest, but stopped when she realized that Lambda seemed more concerned staring at their current state than her. Within a few seconds, the blades broke their formation, then seemed to float about randomly before falling back onto the ground.

"Test successful. Wing-blades functioning under new power source," she said, more to herself than Ciel. "However, combat ability is currently impaired. Testing required to confirm current capabilities."

Ciel quirked her eyebrows at that, but resolved to ask about it later. Instead, she simply got closer, gesturing to Lambda's weapons.

"Well... if it's possible, are you able to remove the armor and weapons that you're wearing?" she asked kindly. "I don't think you'll be testing anything like that for a little while anyways."

Her patient blinked, then looked down as if she hadn't realized she was more or less a walking sword-toting armory. "...Would you prefer that?"

Ciel nodded. Lambda looked down at herself once more, particularly at her damaged wing-blades, then shut her eyes. "Powering down battle mode."

With a yellow flash, the battle suit and armaments that had previously adorn her, as well as her swords, were gone. In their place, she was wearing a black and grey jumpsuit that ended about mid-thigh down her legs and completely covered the rest of her body save head, fingers and palms of her hands. Perhaps to preserve some modesty, as it didn't leave much to the imagination, she was also wearing a white cloak with a metal collar and yellow-colored tape seals attached to the end. She was also barefooted, which at first struck Ciel as odd before she remembered her feet's position in her 'battle mode'. There would really be no need of footwear. Her hair was still braided, but she lacked the sword blade at the end now.

"Is this better?" she asked patiently. Ciel snapped out of her thoughts at the sound, then looked over her again, nodding.

"Yes, it is. Can you stand?"

Lambda made to do so, but completely forgot about the machines she was hooked up to. When she encountered some resistance to moving, she didn't pay it much mind and jerked too hard, and while most of the wires just came loose and fell away, some were a little more... persistent.

Three seconds later, Lambda and Ciel were looking at what remained of the heart monitor as it laid cracked on the ground. The awkward silence was cut off by Lambda turning towards Ciel.

"...I'm sorry..."

"No, no," Ciel cut her off with a nervous laugh. "It's quite alright. I needed a replacement anyways."

Lambda just stared at her, not quite getting the joke. Ciel decided it was time to move on.

'I need to get Edgar down here.'

_**Another Part of the Base**_

Said person was currently attempting to figure out how the hell he had gotten into his current situation. He was currently looking down the wrong end of a metal instrument being held by someone who shouldn't even be in this place right now glaring bloody murder into his eyes, over something that he didn't think should even be important.

"I don't think I heard you properly the first time, _sir_," his opponent said quietly, yet still managed to send a chill down his spine. "Would you please repeat that last bit?"

"Umm... I think you're taking this a little too seriously..." Edgar replied slowly. "Why don't you calm down a little bit..."

"Strange, I don't remember you saying that," his captor continued, apparently not caring for anything resembling calmness. "Although, I assure you I'm completely calm right now."

Edgar glanced away from those soul-devouring eyes towards his one hope of salvation. Starrk stood at the other end of the room, awkwardly staring as he held the subject of this heated debate in his hand, his own metal implement sticking inside of it.

_Help me! _Edgar's eyes screamed.

Starrk gave a sad shake of his head, then lifted his implement out of the subject and put it in his mouth.

_Sorry sir, you're on your own. _His actions seemed to say.

Edgar glanced down at his captor once more. "Shirou... I'm sorry about saying I didn't like your stew. It just didn't sit right with me."

The gaze the teen's eyes held would have forced a dragon to its knees and wet itself in terror, but Edgar held it for one second. Then three. Then ten.

Thankfully, before he fainted, the eyes lost their fire and Shirou lowered his ladle, sighing. "Sorry about that," he muttered. "I'm just so used to people loving my food that I kind of lose it when they say it's bad."

The young teen cut an odd figure with his current outfit. Over his normal clothing was an apron at least two sizes too large and a white chef hat on his head. Combined with the fact he had to stand on a stool in order to properly work the stove, it was almost comical to look at.

Edgar however, had officially added that image to some of the most terrifying ones he had ever seen, as well as saying that Shirou Emiya's cooking is horrible to his face being added to his list of things never to do... right up there with saying that Chryssie loves Swiss Cheese, mocking Christianity in front of Anderson, saying Enhance and/or Earl liked the Twilight books, insulting Lyn around Starrk and vice-versa, trying to hurt Jeanne while around Giro and vice-versa, and claiming that Justin Bieber was a better singer than Michael Jackson (in that case, it's a lesser of two evils, goddamnit!)

"I don't see what your problem with this stuff is," Starrk said unhelpfully in the corner, chewing on a piece of meat and potato. "It's amazing!"

Shirou turned to the janitor, a bright smile of accomplishment on his face. "Thank you, Mr. Starrk!"

_Traitor. _Edgar's glare at him said otherwise.

Starrk made a small shrug. _Brought it on yourself, sir. _

Shirou, oblivious to this exchange, turned back to the pot on the stove. "I don't understand why you don't like my new recipe I discovered," he said with just a slightly chilling tone as he stirred the stew. "I mean, I know it's my first time making it in practice, but that doesn't mean anything!"

"Yeah, why not Edgar?" Starrk added in a curious tone, taking another bite from his bowl. "This 'Nigerian stew' is pretty damn good. It's got potatoes, carrots, tasty sauce, a few peppers, and goes with both chicken and beef. What's not to like?"

"...Just doesn't agree with my taste buds is all," Edgar muttered. "And why do you call it 'Nigerian' stew?"

Shirou stirred the pot absentmindedly as he thought back. "Well, the stew is missing one ingredient, so that might be what's wrong."

"And that would be?"

Shirou looked at him like he was crazy. "What? You want to go to Nigeria to grab a willing Nigerian? That's the hardest thing to get according to the recipe."

On a lower level of understanding, both Starrk and Edgar understood that what Shirou had just said was probably just a joke. Probably.

The problem was that he said it with just the right amount of confusion, interest, and lack of sarcasm, as well as the 'are you serious' look, that for just an instant they thought he was dead serious.

Thus, all either of them could do was look at Shirou, back to themselves, then to the bowl Starrk was holding.

Before Starrk could do anything with that stuff that someone was going to regret, the silence was broken by Shirou breaking down into laughter. "Heheheh... HAHAHAHA! I'm sorry... it's just that... you seriously thought I meant that... didn't you!?"

The two adults just glared for a few seconds, then joined in. Not much, just a brief chuckle or two, but they did join in.

A few minutes of that, and then they were sufficiently recovered.

Edgar's phone then rang. "Sorry, got to take this," he muttered, then glanced at the stove. "And don't burn that stuff while you're at it."

As Shirou looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack as he tried to quickly salvage his work (the current smell of which indicating he wasn't very high on time), Edgar brought out his phone and looked down at the screen, seeing it was Ciel, then answered it.

"Yeah?" he greeted her brisky, absentmindedly scratching his head as he listened to her.

Then he started listening more intently, and the scratching continued slower and slower.

Finally, he just took his hand off his head, itch forgotten as he heard what had to be said.

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can," he finally said, the first thing he had spoken since the beginning.

In fact, it was so sudden that Starrk and Shirou, who had noticed the lack of communication in the first place, jumped a little at the suddenness of his words.

"Sir?" Starrk asked as Edgar made a beeline for the door. "Where are you going?"

"Lab," he replied nonchalantly as he opened it. "The good Doctor needs me with something."

Shirou's eyes widened as he remembered something. "Oh, that's right!"

Edgar looked back. "'Oh, that's right' what?"

Shirou started pouring some of the stew in a bowl. "I heard that sometimes Dr. Ciel never leaves the lab for hours at a time, so I take some breakfast to her every now and again, usually when I'm cooking it."

Edgar briefly wondered exactly how Maka and Soul had convinced him that a young teen could be trusted in a big kitchen feeding some of the most deadly beings on the planet, but he pushed that thought aside. The kid was one of the best cooks he had ever met, even if he personally didn't agree with some of the dishes, and his turn in the kitchen was one that was anticipated by more than a few members.

"You better bring two bowls then," he finally replied, seeing there was no way to convince him not to. Trying to stop and convince Shirou Emiya from doing something he wanted or believed without resorting to physically trying to do so was right was like walking into a large shed filled with rakes that kept smacking you in the face if you stepped on them. It was long, tiresome, and in the end never really did much good for your personal health.

Shirou looked at him weirdly. "What, you're eating too?"

Edgar just opened the door and walked out. "No."

_**Lab**_

Edgar and Ciel sat inside the later's office, staring at each other over the desk. Ciel had just given Edgar the short version of everything that had happened in the time she had woken up, and the later was trying to make sense of it all. Finally, he just made a vague gesture over his shoulder towards the door.

"So... after that little bit about 'needing a soul' and all yesterday, she just got up this morning like nothing happened?"

Ciel sighed. "Basically, yes."

"And you have no idea how she did that?"

"Yes Edgar," she replied. "I don't know how she did it. She was practically in a coma when we last saw her, now she's up and about, personality notwithstanding."

"Yeah, about that... does she seem a little... off to you?" Edgar still remembered how Lambda's head had snapped towards him as he walked into the lab, as if she was analyzing the exact best way to take him. And while he was no stranger to said look, the way her eyes had appeared unnerved him slightly. It was like staring into the almost dead eyes of something that wasn't quite, or rather not completely, human.

It certainly wasn't helped by the fact that there was something about those eyes that reminded him of someone else, nor the strange sense that she seemed to, on some level, recognize his face.

Ciel, of course, didn't know about this. "Well... she's certainly quiet, and she is a little... odd," She need not try hard to remember that Lambda had been spending an inordinate amount of time staring at a piece of Play-Doh that she herself kept around for no real reason, as well as her almost-childlike fascination with how it molded with her hand. "But she's a surprisingly sweet girl, especially considering her memories, or lack thereof..."

"Oh yeah," was Edgar's only reply. Ciel had told him that when she used the memory probe again, she had found no trace of the previously fractured memories. Apparently, whatever happened to make her wake up again had also erased them. "That would explain some things."

"By the way Edgar," Ciel began again, reaching for the stew that had laid almost forgotten next to her and taking a bite, then flinching slightly as she realized it was getting colder and would probably have to be reheated. "Was it really smart to bring Shirou with you to a potentially hostile person?"

In answer, Edgar stood up and went over to the window in the door that led back to the main lab, splitting apart the blinds to get a look, then turning back to her. "I don't see a problem."

Ciel joined him, bowl of stew in one hand as she ate, and beheld the unlikely sight of Shirou Emiya and Lambda-11 sitting cross-legged on the floor, with the later sipping from the other bowl of stew the former had brought with him, and the former himself watching her eat in anticipation, no doubt waiting for her verdict on the meal.

"In fact, I would say they're well on the way to becoming good friends," Edgar continued as he moved away, watching as Lambda gave the bowl back to Shirou and seemed to ask him something, to which the boy quickly nodded and raced out of the lab, no doubt to get some more. Another victim of his cooking, it would appear. "After all, one of the best ways to bond is over a good meal, as some would say."

"You seem to be taking all this rather well," Ciel observed dryly.

"What makes you think I shouldn't?" Edgar responded as he placed a hand on the door. "I have a new recruit, and she turns out to not be an omnicidal maniac hell-bent on killing everyone and everything in the world. Everything's hunky-dory."

"You missed your chance to help an old friend," Ciel answered back, not unkindly but rather empathetically. "Even if the chances were slim to none, it was still a chance to see her alive and smiling again, even if it wouldn't be her original face. Now that chance is gone and you're back to where you were before."

Edgar was silent, his face briefly shifting away from its originally cheerful look as it turned to something resembling brooding. He watched as Lambda went back to fiddling with the blue Play-Doh in her hands, briefly shaping it into what looked like a stick figure with a sword for a hand before squishing it back into a ball, her eyes focused solely on her efforts with the occasional glance towards the lab door.

"...Yeah, but she wouldn't have wanted that," Edgar finally replied. "Not at the cost of someone else's life."

He watched with some more amusement as Shirou came back with a refilled bowl and gave it to Lambda, who dug into it with more gusto and emotion than he had seen yet. Somehow, the sight put the smile back on his face. "Besides, I have plenty of time to keep trying."

Ciel just nodded her head. "So, what now?"

Edgar watched Shirou and Lambda closely for a little longer, the beginnings of a plan already outlining itself in his mind. "First, we see what she can do in terms of combat."

He then opened the door. 'Then, we'll see if Shirou's up for another lesson in being a hero.'

...

Shirou watched as Lambda wolfed down her second helping of stew with gusto with equal parts gladness and exasperation.

Gladness because she was clearly hungry and seemed to be enjoying her meal, if the way she was inhaling the potatoes and meat down her throat and the life in her eyes that had been absent until he started feeding her was any indication.

Exasperation because she seemed to be too busy eating said food to actually answer any question he asked her, including what her name was or even any spoken confirmation that she truly enjoyed the food's taste or was just filling herself up.

Now, one might find it strange that he was feeding someone without even knowing what her name was, but she had stared at the bowl he had brought with him with such longing that he had just given in before asking, and again, he hadn't had a chance since then. Even when he had gone to get a refill, the question of her name had sort of escaped him in that time. Besides, he was certain that Ciel or Edgar would introduce her soon enough.

He watched as his companion put the bowl down, gazing into it as she picked up the last spoonful of stew and put in her mouth, chewing slowly. He let out a nervous chuckle.

"Well, I guess you liked it?" he finally asked.

She looked up at him, those red eyes not as empty as they had been a few minutes ago. "It was... nice." she said softly, looking back down at the bowl as she placed the spoon back in. "Thank you."

The way she spoke, with her monotone voice, might have put some people off slightly. And while it certainly did so with Shirou, it didn't stop him from continuing to talk to her. It actually reminded him of his friend Sakura Matou's voice, just slightly older. There was also something about the way she acted, something in her gaze that made him want to know more about her, though he didn't know why.

"So... what's your name?" He watched as she cocked her head at him, not unlike a bird observing something interesting. He held his hand out in greeting as he continued, grabbing the now finished bowl with his other. "I'm Shirou Emiya. Pleased to meet you."

The yellow-haired girl just stared at his hand for a moment as if it was some sort of alien device, then slowly reached out with her own and grasped it. The feeling was soft as they slowly shook hands.

"Lambda-11," she replied simply. "It's... a pleasure."

Now it was Shirou's turn to look at her funny. "Eleven? Eleven of what?"

Before she could answer, the door to Ciel's office opened. The sound distracted both of them, their heads turning as one towards it as Ciel and Edgar exited and walked towards them.

"Well, I see you two are becoming all buddy-buddy," Edgar quipped as he got closer. "Bonding over good food, as it were?"

Shirou hurriedly stood up, Lambda following his example much more slowly. Edgar waved them off. "At ease people. Sheesh."

Ciel walked over to Shirou, her bowl empty as she handed it to him. "Delicious as always Shirou. Thank you."

Shirou nodded as he took it. "You're welcome, Doctor," he replied as he turned around, preparing to go back to the kitchen.

"Don't you go anywhere, Emiya," Edgar called out, stopping Shirou in his tracks. "I'm gonna need you for something."

Turning his attention back to Lambda, he gave her an appraising look. "So, from what Ciel tells me, you apparently have a new power source to run your main offensive abilities on, am I right?"

"Correct," Lambda replied. "However, while it is compatible with my abilities, I have no clear indication of how it will affect me in combat."

"So, you need to test your current abilities in combat to try and see where you stand in terms of fighting capability and what you need to fix. Am I right?"

"Correct."

Edgar looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "I see. Well, I don't see much of a problem with that."

Ciel looked at him like he was crazy. "Edgar, are you sure this is the right-"

"I for one am curious to see exactly what she can do, Doctor," he replied, cutting her off. "And don't worry. I doubt Lambda has any thought of hurting anyone on purpose." He looked back at Lambda. "Do you?"

"As long as I receive no order to, I will limit my blows to nonlethal," she responded simply.

Edgar nodded again. "Well, in that case, I have the perfect opponent for you to test against. It'll be good for him as well; see how far he's gotten in his training."

Shirou began to inch closer to the door around the point he heard the second sentence. 'Oh God,' he prayed, 'Please don't let it be...'

Edgar glanced over to him, and Shirou knew what was about to happen. 'Don't you dare!'

"In fact, he's the kind gentleman who offered you that meal."

'Damn it!'

Lambda just stared at him for a moment, to which Shirou sent his most pleading look. _Don't listen to him! _his gaze yelled. _Decline politely, please!_

"...Target's combat threat is D," she finally said. "In current condition... acceptable match-up."

He immediately resolved to teach Lambda about visual cues and how to read them.

Shirou felt his hopes fall down the drain, then get sucked into a whirlpool at the small smirk on Edgar's face. "...Do I get a say in this?" he threw out there weakly.

"Why Shirou," Edgar asked him with a strangely hurt voice, "if I didn't know any better, I'd swear you didn't want to do this. And after a year of training and mock battles, I would have thought you would jump at the chance to test those skills out for real."

Shirou tried to retort, then stopped. That was a good question, actually: Why _was _he upset about this? This was the opportunity to test his skills against an opponent who wouldn't be holding back anything (save fatal injuries, thank God), and it wasn't it high time he found out where he stood in ability?

Maybe it was the nagging feeling that this was at least partially payback for what happened in the kitchen?

Briefly, something that Shinji had once told him came back to the fore of his mind, during his first year after a particularly hard day of training.

_Yeah, the training's good and all because it'll save your life someday but in the end, it's just that: Training. Practice for the real deal. You can train all your life, but unless you go out there and put to work what you trained for, it's all just wasted effort. Only in a real gunfight does all that practice shooting come to play a big role. Only in a real fire does fire safety practice become relevant. Only in a real sword fight with lives on the line does all those hours of practicing the same maneuvers over and over and over again become important. That's why we practice so hard, so we don't bleed so much when the real deal happens... and that's why I'm gonna be a friggin **God** when all is said and done._

"...Alright then," Shirou finally replied. "I'll do it."

Edgar resisted the urge to smile. "That's what I wanted hear."

* * *

**Alright! Next chapter, we get to see how far Shirou's come in his training, as well as the first real action sequence in the entire fic! Let's see if I can still write a decent fight scene!**

**Fun fact: Lambda's and Sakura's Fate/Zero English voice actors are actually the same person, so props!**

**Remember, keep reviewing, faving, and following!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_The first indication I got that I was awake the next morning was when I got kicked in the head._

_I had just spent the past several hours dreaming some pretty weird stuff. First, I was killing an army of the undead, then it changed to bartering with a cheapskate merchant, then to talking to a crazy-assed magician, and then I was in the middle of a courtroom when someone threw a book at my head._

_It was only when I registered real physical pain and opened my blurry eyes did I realize I was not dreaming that last bit._

_"Hey you! Where are we?" I heard someone yell out from behind me. "Where the hell did you take us, and what the hell did you do to us!?"_

_"What the hell?" I muttered quietly as my vision started to clear, turning my head to get a good look at whatever hit me. My gaze finally settled on the green-haired girl from yesterday, who looked like she was winding up for another kick before she realized I was looking right at her, upon which she stopped. Behind her, I could see her companion on his feet and staring at me with a guarded expression. Apt for the situation, I supposed._

_"Well, are you just gonna stare all day or say something?"_

_I turned my attention back to the girl, who was staring at me with annoyed, light pink eyes. I figured I should say something smart to break the ice._

_Unfortunately, my still-sleepy mind and body hadn't quite caught up with each other._

_"Huh?"_

_"I'm talking about _this_!" she yelled, then held up her skull helmet, looking at it as if she was holding her own skull in her hands. "What the hell did you do to the remnants of my Hollow mask!? And what happened to Starrk's!? What the hell happened to our Hollow holes!? As a matter of fact, who the hell are you anyways!? ...Hey, are you even listening to me!?"_

_By that point, my attention had sort of left her and was now taking in the sights around the campsite. Aside from two awake patients and one missing magician, everything was more or less the same, save for something near the campfire that I decided to check in a second._

_My gaze finally settled on her companion, Starrk I assumed, who stared back with blue-gray eyes. It was quite obvious from the look he gave me: equal parts recognition, surprise, and wariness, that it was clear he remembered me._

_"Lilynette," he finally said. "Leave the man alone right now."_

_She looked over at him like he was crazy. "What!? Starrk, this guy just pops up out of nowhere and we're missing our Hollow holes and mask fragments, and all you have to say is 'leave him alone right now'!?"_

_"He's also the man who apparently saved our lives," he replied calmly. "I think he deserves a little space and gratitude."_

_She looked like she was about to protest, but upon noticing some steel in his voice that hadn't been there earlier, she complied, grumbling as she did so._

_"I'm watching you," she muttered._

_I just sighed quietly. 'Okay, so now I have to explain to both of them (well, one of them at least) that I'm not the bad guy here and that I have no idea what she was talking about. But first things first...' I looked around again, my eyes alighting on that object near the fire that wasn't there last night, which I realized was a bag. Kneeling down, I found a hand-drawn letter on the outside that read:_

To Oswald,

Since you're gonna be traveling with living beings now, I would suggest you start buying food. In here is some bread, cheese, some fruit, and water, along with a little money. You're gonna need it for the days ahead.

See you when I see you,

Zeltrech

_'Asshole,' I thought to myself. 'First you saddle me with two other people, now you more or less have me supporting them too.'_

_Still, I couldn't very well leave them alone. I turned around and pulled out a canteen of water, some bread, and a few apples and handed it all over to Starrk, who looked at me in confusion._

_"Here," I said simply, "You guys look like you could use something to eat anyways. We can talk while you do so."_

_Starrk nodded his head in appreciation, then turned to Lilynette, who begrudgingly took an apple and some bread. "Is this all?" she asked after a moment of staring at what was no doubt in her mind a meager breakfast._

_"You won't be running into many three course meals with me, I'm afraid." I replied simply, then sat down on the stone floor to get comfortable. "Now, where should I start?"_

_"How about with your name?" Starrk said as he took a bite out of the apple he was holding. "My name is Coyote Starrk, former 1st Espada of Hueco Mundo." He then looked meaningfully at the girl, who glared for a moment before relenting."_

_"...Lilynette Gingerbuck, his sole Fracción."_

_I wouldn't lie if I said I wasn't interested. If that really was a war zone that I saw back there, then this guy was no doubt one of the top players on one of the sides in whatever conflict that had happened. I was also curious about some of the terms he said, but decided it could wait. After all, they had honored me with their names, so it would only be right for me to give them mine._

_"Oswald Edgarson," I replied. "Shadow Knight."_

_That got their attention, if the confused expressions that flashed across their faces was any indication. "Aren't you a Shinigami?" Starrk asked._

_I quirked an eyebrow. "Shinigami? As in a God of Death?" I mused out loud. "I would have to say no. Well, no doubt some who saw me on a battlefield would describe me as such, but you say it as if it were an occupation I needed to have."_

_"Wait, then how can you see us?" Lilynette asked, her confusion evident in her words. "Only Shinigami, Hollows or humans with high spiritual power or pressure should be able to see us, let alone interact with us like you are now." She then looked back down at the apple in her hands, as if transfixed on where she bit it. "Wait a minute... how am I even able to eat this thing?"_

_Noticing my confused expression, Starrk shook his head. "Tell you later, but back to the matter at hand..."_

_I realized what he was getting at, so I cleared my throat. "Right, well... after a certain unnamed wizard-" I noticed the funny looks they were giving me, and quickly added, "Do I look like the kind of guy who would make this stuff up?"_

_Receiving no answer, I continued. "After said wizard decided to drop me off in a ruined town using magic with the cryptic message of 'find the two survivors,' I spent some time wandering around until I saw some movement some ways from me. When I got there, I found you dragging yourself along with your friend in your arms, both of you bleeding from a big gash across your chest."_

_I noticed how he flinched and raised a hand there, as if trying to remember the feeling. I continued on regardless._

_"Anyways, after you caught sight of me, you said something about me being a Shinigami and then passed out on the ground, even then making sure that she didn't fall to the ground hard. After that, I used my sword and healed your wounds..." I noticed the funny looks had started up again. "Look, I'll show you both later I'm not full of shit, but wait 'till I'm done here."_

_Noticing that they seemed to be listening to me again, I continued. "Long story short, your injuries healed up, but for some reason your holes disappeared and your 'mask' fragments either fell off your head," I pointed at Lilynette, "or just disappeared like the holes," I pointed at Starrk. "Then the wizard brought me back here with you two, said something me watching over you both since this is a world you've never been to, and then knocked me out when I tried to kick his ass for all the stuff he put me through."_

_I shrugged. "Next thing I know, midget here's kicking me in the head."_

_"Hey!"_

_"So now, I guess I'm your babysitter while I try to find Zeltrech and force him to eat his own words..."_

_"Wait a minute," Starrk interrupted. "You said 'this is a world we've never been to'. What do you mean?"_

_I sighed. "...Well, let's think of it like this. Do you believe in alternate dimensions?"_

_"Yes." Noticing my confused expression, he elaborated. "There are three dimensions where we come from: The Human World, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo, with the last being where we came from. No doubt you found us in the battleground of the first though, as that was where we fell in our battle."_

_"By the way, gonna give me any background on that?" Noticing how they both seemed to look away, I decided to drop it for now. "Well, imagine for a moment that there are even more dimensions than that, with walls between them that are far sturdier than the ones between the your dimensions, entire universes where these 'Shinigami' or 'Hollows' you speak of don't even exist. We're in one such universe."_

_They just stared at me, no doubt thinking I was crazy._

_"You're nuts," Lilynette finally said._

_Yup._

_"I've been called that on occasion," I admitted, then sat up. "But it's the truth."_

_"Prove it."_

_"How?"_

_The answer was quick and short. "Fight me."__  
_

_Now it was my turn to look at her like she was crazy. "What?"  
_

_"Fight me right now." she repeated, chomping down on what was left of her apple and throwing the core away. "You're not a Hollow or Arrancar, that much is certain. I've seen Shinigami fight. If you're really not a Shinigami, it'll show up in your fighting style. Then I'll believe you."_

_"And what if I'm just a human with abnormally high spiritual power or pressure, as you mentioned earlier?"_

_"You're not."_

_I turned to the sound of the voice, realizing that Starrk had spoken. "I took a moment to sense your Reiryoku and Reiatsu personally, and while I've seen at least a few humans with abnormally high levels in my time, if only briefly, I'd be willing to bet yours surpasses all of them save one, and he was apparently a true exception. Not to mention, it doesn't feel like a normal human's Reiatsu anyways... something's off about it, not that dissimilar from so-called 'Visored': Shinigami with Hollow powers."_

_I just stared at him, that last bit making me want to ask a question, but I was distracted by the sight of Lilynette grabbing her helmet and literally pulling a sword out of where the left horn would be in the form of green light, which then solidified. The blade resembled a scimitar with a standard katana hilt and an oblong guard, and she held it with both hands towards me._

_"Alright, let's go!"_

_"Do I have to?" I asked her. "I don't feel like fighting a kid right now."_

_She scowled at me. "Hey! Arrancar like me don't age!"_

_Another term I didn't know. I quickly filed that one under the list of words I would have to ask Starrk about._

_Speaking of Starrk, I turned to him. "Uh, you don't have anything to say?"_

_He yawned. "As long as you don't hurt her badly, I won't interfere. Besides, you're more than a match for her anyways, so maybe this'll be a good lesson for her."_

_She turned to look at him. "You're supposed on my side in this, dummy!"_

_"You're the one egging him on," he called back._

_I sighed. Obviously she wasn't going to let this rest, so I decided to oblige her. Going over to where I had wrapped up my sword last night, I drew it, summoning my black armor as I did so. The blade seemed to glow the color of blood in the noon sun, and I noticed how Lilynette looked suddenly unsure of herself, glancing at both the sword and my armor, while Starrk watched with renewed interest._

_"Still time to walk away," I reminded her._

_That seemed to snap her out of her funk. Gripping her sword tighter, she shook her head and charged. "Shut up!"_

_The first swing was almost pathetically slow to my senses. I easily countered it with my own sword and forced her back. I could have pressed the advantage, but I didn't. I was more curious to see what she was capable of than actually beating her, so I let her recover and try again. _

_This went on for the next twelve or so exchanges: She swung, I blocked, she went back, I waited for the next strike, rinse and repeat. Occasionally, she mixed it up with an extra attack after the first was blocked, but I countered those just as easily. It was quite obvious that she wasn't that skilled with the sword._

_"Is that all?" I asked after deflecting her most recent barrage. "If you want me to prove I'm not a Shinigami, you're going to actually have to force me to work harder than just moving a sword."_

_"Shut up!" she yelled as she swung again, which I once again blocked. "Just be quiet!"_

_This time, she did something unexpected: Instead of swinging again, she swung her leg around for a kick, though what that would do against a suit of armor was beyond me. Still, I just shifted my body to the side in order to avoid her strike, watching with some amusement as her face went from determined to stupefied._

_Then I flicked her in the head._

_That got her mad._

_"THAT'S IT!" she yelled as she jumped back. "I'M FINISHING THIS NOW!"  
_

_To my surprise, she jumped into the air again and actually _stayed _there, as if she was levitating off the ground._

_My surprise grew when I noticed a light-green light forming and charging in her left eye (the one that had once been covered by her helmet) and getting steadily larger and brighter, seeming to absorb light all around her in the form of lines._

_She grinned, or rather bared her clenched teeth, at me. "TAKE THIS! CERO!"_

_The light fired from her the center of her face right towards me, filling the majority of my vision._

_Now, I could have dodged it if I wanted to, but I decided to see just how powerful her ace in the hole really was. So instead, I swung my sword right down in front of me, intending to cut clean through it like a magical attack._

_As such, both of us was surprised by what happened next._

_The Cero didn't impact with my body, nor did Belderiver cut through it. Instead, the energy was literally _absorbed_ into my crystal sword like it was water getting sucked into a sponge._

_"H-How did you..." she muttered in shock._

_"...Huh," was my intelligent reply. "That's never happened before."_

_I could actually feel the power of the Cero inside my sword, not unlike what happened whenever it absorbs a large amount of Phozons. I suppose the two were similar enough, both being spiritual energy after all, to allow my sword to absorb it. I grinned despite myself._

_"My turn then."_

_I swung my sword directly towards her, allowing the crystal to glow bright red. "Cyclone!"_

_With that, a red whirlwind emerged from my sword, flying towards Lilynette at rapid speeds. She made as if to dodge, but it caught her before she could do anything, sending her flying even further into the air._

_Now, before anyone says anything, I'm not heartless. That spell only used some of the energy of her Cero (though a heck of a lot more than I would have thought, even with my own spell being underpowered. I guess it wouldn't have really hurt even if it did hit me.) and while the winds probably were more annoying than harmful, all it really did was send her flying._

_Still, it was funny listening to her screams._

_"You son of a bitch!" she yelled when she finally managed to right herself, just barely avoiding a case of self-inflicted stabbing. "I'm gonna kick your ass!"_

_"That's the spirit!" I yelled back encouragingly. "At this rate, you'll force me to break a sweat in the next three hours!"_

_"ARRGGGHHH!" she screamed as she charged me, sword at the ready. By this point, I don't think she really cared if I was a Shinigami or not; she just wanted to see me bleed. She was probably counting on her new angle of attack to give her an advantage._

_Unfortunately for her, I've had experience fighting enemies who dive-bombed targets, and they were way more skilled than this._

_I sidestepped her strike quickly, then used the advantage of my armored hand to grab the blade of her sword. With a quick movement, I wrenched the sword out of her hand and crossed both blades at her neck._

_Now, this would normally be the moment that I would say it was time to give up, but then I realized that the familiar light-green glow from before was back._

_And currently staring me right in the face._

_"CERO!"_

_Forget what I said before. Underpowered or not, getting shot point-blank in the face with an energy blast hurts like hell._

**_OSG Headquarters: Training Grounds (Mock Combat)_**

'What the hell have I gotten myself into today?'

Those were the words that were on Shirou Emiya's mind as he faced down Lambda-11 on the mock battlefield, crouched behind some cover as he panted slowly from escaping her newest attack. He was currently wearing the standard light body armor of a normal OSG member: Camouflage military garb and a ballistic vest covering his torso that would stop small-caliber handgun and shotgun projectiles, which also included ballistic shoulder and side protection armor components, and a combat helmet. In addition, it was warded to be resistant to knives and most low-level Magecraft, though strong enough blades or strong Magecraft would break it pretty easy.

It was also mobile and easy to move in, which he needed if he wanted to avoid getting skewered by his opponent.

Lambda, for her part, had traded out her jumpsuit and cloak for the armor she had been wearing earlier, though now with two new additions: The first was that her eight wing-blades from earlier were now repaired and arranged behind her levitating like a pair of wings, four on each side. The second addition was the silver visor that covered her eyes and ears, which had a singular red eye like a cyclops and horns at the end pointing at an angle upwards. She stood in the center of the field, seeming to float more than stand on the metal blades around her feet.

The combat zone consisted of an enclosed area that was designed somewhat liked a ruined city street, with actual stone rubble, wrecked cars, and overgrown weeds everywhere to facilitate the feeling of real-life combat. As such, it was filled with damaged areas and randomly placed obstacles that could be used for cover and/or vantage points.

In fact, Harbinger and Milo occasionally had the trainees suit up and engage in mock combat with paintball rounds and light armor. He himself had only been involved in one or two in all the time he had been here, but Shinji had done it enough to describe it like playing a shooter videogame online with other players, except even more awesome.

Personally though, he didn't find it so fun, though it was certainly thrilling to slowly sneak around corners with someone covering your back, being on the lookout for enemies or a sniper farther away while preparing to gun down an unsuspecting victim...

A strangely-shaped red-brown, double-edged sword impacted in the ground not far from his position, jolting him back to reality.

"Crap!" he yelled, getting to his feet and running again, taking aim with his rifle and firing a brief burst of bullets at her, knowing it would be ineffective. The rounds were actually rubber-coated projectiles, meant to avoid having recruits shoot each other dead like idiots and give Harbinger or Milo an excuse to shoot a particularly undisciplined person. They would hurt like hell if they hit an unarmored person, and even someone with light body armor would feel something after getting hit, but they were nonlethal.

Of course, as he had figured out earlier in the fight, he could have been firing live ammunition made of lead and blessed metal at her and it wouldn't have done a lick of good. Mostly because those wing-blades were, in addition to being capable of cutting through wood and metal with enough applied force, were strong enough to deflect any bullets fired at her.

Right on cue, the blades formed a wall in front of her body, the bullets impacting and dropping/ricocheting off without any mark. Lambda simply watched as Shirou scurried to another hiding spot, then held her hand up. On cue, a portal appeared in front of her, holding another sword which she then fired at him. It impacted into the ground behind him, but she didn't let up.

"_Zwei!_" A second sword impacted into the ground in front of Shirou, forcing him to shift his running direction.

'Got to make it to that wall!' he thought quickly as he ran. 'She can't break through stone with those swords!'

"_Drei! Vier!_" The third and fourth blades impacted into a metal car he ducked behind, actually forcing it to shift slightly, though not cutting through it.

"_Fünf!_" The fifth, however, came through the window and cut across Shirou's shoulder. His body armor protected him, though it did leave a gash on it. He got up and keep running.

"_Sechs!_" The sixth went flying off course when Shirou managed to draw his own blade and deflect it. Her swords, while certainly durable and made of some strange metal/Prana from what little he could tell before they disappeared after impacting with a target, couldn't hold a candle to the warded blade in his hands.

"_Sieben! __Acht!_" The seventh and eighth blades impacted with the stone wall at the other end of the street which Shirou took shelter behind, unable to pierce it.

'Okay,' he thought quickly as he checked his rifle, then cursed when he realized it wasn't on him anymore. Looking back, he realized that he had dropped it near the car, around the point he had drawn his sword.

'Okay,' he thought again, inching towards the corner. 'I've got basic body armor, one pistol with two clips, a sword, and some basic Magecraft to create and reinforce some failed copies of it.' He started to turn his head around it. 'She's got superior armor, thirteen physical blades, the ability to create and summon swords out of thin air, and is probably faster than me.'

He twisted around enough to see around the corner, only to realize that Lambda hadn't moved from her position. Instead, he realized that her wing-blades had changed slightly, enlarging the space between themselves to give the appearance of being bigger.

'What is she doing?' he wondered.

For her part, Lambda put her hands together and raised them above her head, concentrating as her mind gave her feedback of what she was about to do.

_Long-range capabilities confirmed. Dimensional interference fields running smoothly. Power source fulfilling suggested duties._

_Maximizing power output for next attack. 'Legacy Edge' activate._

"Destruction!" she yelled as she swung her arms down, creating a larger portal in front of herself. A barrage of smaller swords emerged from it, flying at high speeds towards the wall.

"Shit!" Shirou yelled as he ducked back behind it, wincing as he heard the swords collide and rebound off the wall, not unlike giant nails being smashed into stone. 'I hope this wall lasts!' he thought as he gripped his sword in one hand, pistol forgotten as he waited for the hail of swords to end.

After what seemed like a minute or so, which were really just a few seconds, they did so. Shirou quickly glanced around the wall again, only to stop when he realized she wasn't there anymore.

'Where did she...' he briefly thought, then stopped when he realized something that always happens in books when the enemy isn't where they were a second ago.

The faint sound of metal scraping against stone wasn't that bad of a hint either though.

'Shit!'

He turned around swinging his sword quickly, meeting Lambda's right arm blade with a _clang_, only to see her left one coming towards his chest.

_**Observation Area**_

Meanwhile, in an area a safe distance away yet close enough that help could arrive quickly, Edgar, Ciel, Soul and Maka all watched as the battle progressed. Using cameras scattered across the battlefield, they watched from multiple angles as Shirou more or less used any and all cover available to him to avoid Lambda's hail of death, while ineffectively firing at her with his rifle that failed to even scratch her shields.

"Maybe I should have given him permission to use live rounds," Edgar mused. "Even the playing field a little more."

"Considering that she's barely moved once in all the time they've been 'fighting' and nothing has even scratched her yet," Maka replied shortly, "I don't think it would have helped."

Edgar glanced at her and Soul, whose gazes hadn't left the screens once. "Are you two mad that I using Shirou as testing for our newest recruit?"

"A little," Maka admitted. "Though what I'm mad about is that you didn't bother to tell us about this until he was already doing so."

Something about the tone she just used sent a deathly chill down his spine, though her expression hadn't changed once from its carefully neutral appearance.

"Okay, maybe it was sort of sudden," he began, stopping when Maka turned her gaze away from the screens to stare at him. 'God, how can she give a death glare without even glaring...' "...but I saw an opportunity to test just how far Shirou had come in his training, and I took it. Besides, she promised to use nonlethal force."

"You call this 'nonlethal' force?" Soul asked, turning their attention back to the screen in time to watch Lambda unleash her 'Legacy Edge' at the stone wall Shirou had hid behind, blades impacting and ricocheting off of it. "I'd hate to see 'lethal' then."

"Well, she _is _trying to break down a stone wall Soul," Ciel reminded him. "Most of her previous attacks just impacted with whatever cover Shirou hid behind and did nothing save move it a little."

Then Lambda charged after the last of her blades, then _leapt _over the stone wall to where Shirou was hiding.

"...Or maybe it was just a distraction."

_**Shirou vs Lambda**_

There's this funny little thing about living beings called the 'fight-or-flight' response, which is a psychological reaction that occurs in response to a perceived harmful event, attack, or threat to survival. When this happens, the nervous system discharges a whole slew of hormones into the body, increasing heart and breath rate, slowing digestion, hearing loss, dilating pupils, causing tunnel vision and a whole other different things, all for the purpose of preparing the body for doing everything in its power to get away from the perceived threat (flight), or confront it (fight).

A sword coming straight for the chest definitely qualified a threat, and so Shirou responded with how he met every challenge and/or threat in his life.

He chose 'fight'.

_Trace On._

Throwing up his free hand, he immediately thought of the sword in his other, seeing a blueprint appear in his mind's eye. He didn't have time to properly replicate the blade by using the method Logan had been teaching him, and normal Projection wouldn't cut it, shattering like glass against Lambda's blade.

So, he compromised.

_Judge the concept of creation._

_Visualize the basic structure._

___Duplicate the component materials._

He felt the incomplete sword form in his hands and swung it anyways, knowing he wouldn't have time for anymore steps. However, as he did so, he did something he wouldn't have attempted had he been thinking properly and not acting on instinct.

_Reinforcement of the weakened parts._

Shirou's incomplete Reinforced sword, blacken and missing part of its guard and the upper portion of its blade, struck against Lambda's arm blade, shattering as it made impact.

However, it succeeded in forcing her off course, her attack striking his armored shoulder instead and slicing into it, though not deeply.

Unfortunately, Shirou didn't have time to pat himself on the back, as Lambda immediately disengaged from her previous deadlock and kicked him in the chest. Hard. With a bladed foot.

Luckily, there was a metal car nearby to break his flight. Though the door did crumple slightly when he hit it.

...

Lambda watched as the boy she was fighting slowly got back to his feet, his body armor having saved him from any serious injury from the initial blow, though the gash right in the chest area wouldn't do so again if she hit it. Still, she would have expected the impact with the car to incapacitate him.

She prepared to intercept him, but a brief glance at his sword stopped her, and not because she was worried about him using it. For some reason, she had been feeling strange ever since she got a good look at Shirou's cutlass at the beginning of the fight. She didn't know why, but she felt as if she should recognize it from somewhere, even though something else told her this was her first time ever seeing it.

She shook away those thoughts. No matter. She could wonder about such things later. The next strike would end it.

_Deploying dimensional warp. 'Gravity Seed' activate._

...

'Crap,' Shirou thought blurrily, trying to get back to his feet. 'Got to get moving.'

He heard something stop in front of him, then a familiar voice spoke aloud. "Deploying field."

Suddenly, he found himself colliding with the ground, feeling as if someone had dropped a pack of rocks on his back. He struggled to get to his feet, the impact getting his senses back together. He looked up, seeing Lambda some distance from him, strangely missing her wing-blades. He was also vaguely aware of the sound of swords clinking above him, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what was about to happen.

'Shit! Got to think of something...' He had a sword and a pistol filled with useless ammunition. Even if he used the former, there was no way he could throw it before she attacked. And even if he used it to block the swords above him, what would stop her from trying to stab him with another sword from a portal?

Then he got an idea. A stupid, suicidal and insane idea that could potentially do more harm to himself than those swords above him.

And yet he couldn't help but think it was the greatest idea he had ever come up with.

"Yield?" he heard her ask, the sound of another portal opening in front of him punctuating that question.

'Soul and Maka are gonna rip into me for this,' he thought as he reached for the pistol, preparing himself for the Magecraft he was about to perform.

...

"Yield?" Lambda asked her opponent as he got to his feet, one hand still gripping the sword while the other went to his side towards his pistol. Futile. Those rounds wouldn't hurt her even if she wasn't using her blades as shields.

Above him, her eight blades awaited her command to come down on him. She had already calculated the force that would be necessary to put him down, pierce his armor if necessary, but not kill him. In front of herself, she had just summoned another blade, this one different than the earlier ones. Unlike her previous swords, this one actually had a grip that could be grabbed, and it was much narrower and slightly longer than those ones as well. Actually, it looked like a more futuristic version of the sword in his hands right now, complete with glowing red lines.

She didn't why she had called it up, it was just something that felt right to her at this moment, just as it felt strangely comforting in her hands. It certainly added to the intimidating factor she was attempting to project.

In fact, she wasn't even certain why she had asked him if he would give up. It wouldn't matter either way. Just another strange thing that had plagued her since waking up. Perhaps it was because he fed her?

So caught up in her internal musing, she wasn't quite prepared for what Shirou did next.

Actually, that was a lie. She expected him to perform some desperate act of defiance before she brought her weapons crashing down on him, like fire at her or swing his sword. So when he did the former, firing seven shots, she didn't even call her blades in order to defend, simply standing there and waiting for the shots to impact fruitlessly against her armor.

Only to stagger slightly when she actually felt the impact of four or five bullets through her armor, especially when one grazed her face and actually drew _blood_.

'What!?' she thought quickly, then brought her eight blades down on Shirou, intending to finish it now. As she expected, he brought his sword upwards managed to stop two of them with a single swing. Before he could try again, the other six smash into his body, piercing his body armor and sending him to the ground.

She deactivated the gravity field she had set up, deciding she no longer needed it, as well as preparing to retract her blades.

Then Shirou got up and charged her.

'Impossible!' she thought as he closed the distance faster than she would have thought possible. 'How did he do it!?'

Unknown to her, Shirou had just performed a double Reinforcement, first by performing Magecraft on the gun in his hand and the rounds within. Contrary to what some might think when they first hear about 'Reinforcement', it isn't just about making an object stronger. It enhances an object's existence: Making knives sharper, pillows softer, and, in this case, making the bullets harder and the gun itself give a bit more 'kick'.

However, he had misjudged the amount of Prana to fill them with, which had resulted in the rounds being deformed, unstable, and one or two just breaking apart when they left the barrel of the gun, which itself was completely useless now, as the sudden influx of Prana had crippled the inner workings.

As to how he got up after getting stabbed by those swords, it was quite simple really: He had then performed Reinforcement on himself, increasing the hardness of his skin as well as his running speed and physical strength.

It was also why he felt like his nerves were on fire and that he was gonna collapse screaming into unconsciousness when this was all over, blood actually rising into his mouth as he pushed onwards.

'Yeah, they're gonna kill me for this,' he thought numbly.

"Opening rift!" Lambda yelled quickly, summoning a spinning sickle in front of her that moved slowly towards Shirou, though he ran right into it, cutting into his pants leg and actually drawing blood. Despite that, he just kept going, moving out of the way and continuing his charge, his Reinforced legs holding out.

Lambda met his charge with her wing-blades, firing them like a machine gun. However, the pain in Shirou's body kept him alert, allowing him to match each one as it came at him, sending the first two away without injury, getting scratched by the third, knocking away the fourth, and then clashing with her sword at last.

Lambda, for her part, narrowed her eyes as she swung at his arms, cutting into his body armor yet unable to pierce his skin beneath like it was iron. Her other blows were met by Shirou's cutlass, and whenever she tried to get distance to properly use her wing-blades or other powers, he was immediately up in her face all over again. She wasn't meant for close-quarters combat, preferring to control the battle from afar. Even using her other arm blade as a sort of shield and extra weapon was barely enough to keep her from getting injured by Shirou's far faster attacks. In slowly mounting desperation, she mentally commanded the four blades he had deflected earlier to come back around and finish it, increasing the calculated force needed to put him down.

For his part, Shirou was focused entirely on defeating Lambda, deflecting her strikes and swinging his sword. He had to end it now. He could feel his body getting slower with fatigue and pain, the negative effects of his self-Reinforcement making themselves known in the worst way possible, and his vision was getting blurry. Lambda might not have been as skilled with the sword and close combat as he himself was, but she had two (counting her other arm blade) to his one and wasn't running on desperation and last reserves.

'I've got enough for one last strike,' he thought wearily, then cancelled his self-Reinforcement, needing all the focus he could get.

_Judge the concept of creation._

_Visualize the basic structure._

He needed more than some cheap knock-off for this job.

_Duplicate the component materials._

_Imitate the skill of its making._

He needed an exact copy.

_Sympathize with the experience of growth._

_Reproduce the accumulated age._

And no better place to master an extremely difficult process...

_Excel every manufacturing process._

...than when you life depends on it.

Shirou countered Lambda's next strike with his real sword, then blocked the follow-up arm blade with his newly Traced copy. Unlike all his previous efforts though, this one held together. Not even pausing to consider the ramifications of this development, and with a quick movement, he broke her guard and had his blades crossed in front of her throat, her own sword knocked out of her hands and on the ground near her.

"Yield?" he asked her, echoing her earlier statement.

Triumph filling his ears, he wasn't even aware of the four blades coming up from behind until he saw Lambda tense in anticipation.

'Wait, where are her other...'

Realizing his mistake too late, he made an effort to turn around and, however futilely, deflect the incoming missiles with both swords.

His sudden movement, more so than the swords, saved him. Instead of impacting squarely with his back, an act that would have killed or greatly injured his unReinforced body, two of the four were deflected, by luck more than skill, by his blades, though one left a gash along his left arm. Another grazed the side of his head. The last made a gash in his left side through the armor.

Normally, that wouldn't have been enough to stop him. But his body, after performing a self-Reinforcement for the first time, and not exactly successful at that, plus the drop of adrenaline inside himself and using some rather draining Magecraft, just gave up after finally drawing blood. A sudden sense of dizziness at the sight of his blood smashed into his skull and he was suddenly aware of the fact the ground rushing to meet him.

In that instant, just before losing consciousness, he was aware of Lambda grabbing him, as those black and silver gloves could have belonged to no other, and the sound of Maka yelling his name in the distance.

'Yeah, she's gonna kick my ass,' was his last thought before blackness took him.

* * *

**Nothing really to say this time around. Most of Lambda's moves were taken directly from BlazBlue Continuum Shift, which I possess and have played in great measure, and those quotes she used before using them were what she actually says when using them in-game.**

**Wonder if Maka really will kick Shirou's ass when he wakes up, and what will happen to Lambda?**

**Find out next time!**

**Remember, keep reviewing, faving, and following!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG! If anyone's surprised that I'm updating early, let it be known I'm gonna start posting these faster since I've actually written all the chapters now, though I will still be making edits if I feel the story needs them.**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_Now, before I describe what I did next, I just want to get something clear: I just got shot in the face. I hadn't exactly been having the best day right up 'till then, but still, I was shot in the face. So what if Lilynette's Cero wasn't fatal, that still hurt like hell._

_Up 'till that point, I was perfectly content to pull my punches and just dodge and block, maybe throw an attack or two. But right then, I acted more on instinct than anything else._

_What did I do?_

_Simple. I dropped Lilynette's sword, grabbed her by the neck, and started squeezing._

_Again, I'm a knight. I've seen plenty of death in my time and caused quite a bit of it. My body was hardwired for certain events, and sometimes it would act faster than my mind could follow. And while it had saved my life in several cases, it could occasionally leave me in a very tough spot, like right now._

_By the time I consciously realized I was choking her, her face was already turning an unnatural shade of blue and her struggles were getting weaker and weaker._

_Luckily for both of us, Starrk came to the rescue... by kicking me in the gut._

_Even though my armor, I felt that one. Even so, it was more surprise than anything that I let go of her, upon which Starrk immediately took her away from the battle._

_"...Damn it Starrk," she gagged out as she held a hand to her neck. "What... took you so long?"_

_"You started it, not me," Starrk replied as he stared at me warily. Couldn't blame him honestly. "Besides, you're still alive, aren't you?"_

_"That not... the point!"_

_I sighed. "Look, sorry about that," I told her sheepishly (c'mon, how's one supposed to casually broach that you almost killed the other person by accident?). "Just reflexes and instinct."_

_...Damn, that sounds weak even now as I write it down._

_"Besides," I continued. "Are you satisfied? Did I convince you I'm not a Shinigami yet?"_

_Lilynette gave me an annoyed glance. "Well-"_

_"I'm talking to the one who was actually paying attention and not losing his shit."_

_"Hey!"_

_Starrk looked at me again, this time his wariness replaced mostly by contemplation. "...When you absorbed the Cero with your blade, it did remind me of a particular Shinigami's ability. However, your garb is not that of a Shinigami, and you never once released your blade. Plus, you showed surprise at Lilynette's ability to airwalk, and never once performed it yourself."_

_"I take it you can do that too?"_

_In answer, he quite casually floated up and stayed about five feet off the ground. "I'm willing to admit you are indeed not a Shinigami. Besides," he continued as he floated back to the ground, "I've yet to meet a Shinigami who would heal, much less watch over an Arrancar, their sworn enemy."_

_"Thank you," I replied. "I'm glad I have your approval. Now that that's cleared up, I'm gonna go after Zeltrech. Are you gonna come with me or not?"_

_Starrk looked thoughtful for a moment, then just shrugged. "Alright."_

_Lilynette looked at him like he was crazy. "What!? He nearly killed me, and now you want to travel with him!?"  
_

_"You started it," he reminded her. "Besides, it would boring to travel alone all over again, right?"_

_That question stopped Lilynette in her tracks. She just stared at the two of us, her mouth opening and closing like a fish, then she just threw her hands up in exasperation. "You know what? Fuck it, whatever you say. Let's just go."_

_I couldn't believe my luck. It had been harder than I thought, but I had convinced them both to come with me. Now, I was one step closer to finding Zeltrech and making him..._

_"But before we do, there's something I want to see for myself," Starrk interrupted my thoughts, forcing me back to Earth. "If you don't mind."_

_"...And that would be?"_

_Casually, Starrk drew the katana at his side. "I don't usually start fights, but I find myself interested in you. You're not a Shinigami or Hollow, yet you're not just a human. Call me crazy, but I want to see just what you can do."_

_"...You want to fight me now? After all that crap you gave Lilynette?"_

_He nodded, and I resisted the urge to sigh. I lifted my sword._

_"One round, then we go. Promise?"_

_"Of course," he responded. "Again, I just want to see what you can do."_

_'Well, I might as well get it over with,' I thought to myself, then charged._

_He disappeared before I had even fully swung my sword._

_'What the-?' I thought, before the faint rush of wind behind me was my only warning to turn around, catching Starrk's blade from taking me right across the back._

_"Not bad," he told me casually, "There are only a few people I think off the top of my head fast enough to counter my Sonido. But just for the record, I'm a hell of a lot stronger than Lilynette. You can't afford to use anything less than your A-game with me."_

_He swung again, to which I countered and followed up with an overhead slash, which was blocked as well. This continued for maybe the next four or five exchanges: Any and all strikes were either dodged outright or blocked with our swords, and even any efforts to maneuver into more advantageous positions were stopped by our opponent, either by seeing the tell-tale signs they were trying to box them in (me) or sensing the faint displacement of wind or sound by high-speed movement (Starrk)._

_Still, I could tell that Starrk wasn't even fighting seriously right now. His moves lacked the intent to kill, and some of his strikes seemed half-hearted at best. Then again, considering that those moves were still enough to make me actually have to start trying to block, which is more than what I could say for Lilynette, it made me wonder just how strong he was if he decided to cut loose._

_Suddenly, my eyes widened as Starrk started using his Sonido again, but this time it was different. Instead of just moving behind me for a quick strike, the moment he appeared he just disappeared again. Heck, sometimes he just reappeared in the spot he had just vacated! It was more like teleportation than high-speed movement._

_The constant appearing and disappearing was also preventing me from accurately figuring out where he was next, as the bursts of sound and wind just starting blending into each.__  
_

_"That's not very fair," I quipped as I watched his rapidly moving form, the wind whipping my hair across my face._

_"If it's the only way you'll show me what you've really got, then I'll do it," he replied, his voice not at all affected by the fast movement. "Let's see how well you do when you can't predict where I'm gonna stop."_

_The moment he finished saying that, he finally struck, his blow glancing off my armor. I instinctively lashed out, but he just reappeared behind me and struck again, my armor defending me once more. It quickly became a game of cat and mouse, him striking me and I fruitlessly retaliating._

_However, it was also a process of learning. He was testing my defenses and vulnerable areas in it, as I was likely more armored than the average opponent he usually fought, and I was testing just how fast he could strike and disappear, as well as the window of opportunity between materialization and disappearance.  
_

_As such, when he suddenly reappeared in front of me, I didn't hesitate a second before cutting through him, feeling resistance as my blade cleaved through his chest._

_Then it disappeared, and I felt cold steel slice me over my left eye._

_'Shit!' __Looking upwards, I saw Starrk overhead, sword still with some blood on it being pulled away._

_"Not bad," he admitted, "but that was just an afterimage."_

_I figured it was time to step up my game. Aiming my sword at him, I accessed the magical power stored in my blade. "Phozon Burst!"_

_An explosion of crimson light filled the space between us, forcing him to get back or risk damage. I drew upon even more of my blade's power. "Overload!"_

_I felt a burst of power erupt within me. My Overload spell doubles both my attack power and speed for a limited time, so I decided to show off a little. I closed the distance between Starrk and myself quickly, surprising him with my speed, and even managed to strike my first injury of the fight, right along his left shoulder._

_Starrk's eyes narrowed. Holding out his left hand, I watched as a familiar, now blue, light formed in it as straight lines gathering together, and a hell of a lot faster. __"Cero!"_

_Even with my newfound speed, I barely dodged the beam that was fired. It made Lilynette's look like a handgun while it was a missile launcher, and while I figured I could probably have absorbed it like I did with her first one, I really didn't want to risk it._

_Suddenly, he was back in front of me, swinging his sword straight at my neck. I blocked it and retaliated in kind. For a moment we stood there deadlocked, then disengaged, moving about seven feet away from each other. Not that it mattered really, since either of us could cover that distance faster than it took to blink._

_"Let's get serious, shall we?" he asked me simply. "I can tell you're still holding back on me."_

_"Aren't you?" I returned, feeling the effects of my spell wear off. "I can tell you're holding back, even up 'till firing that Cero."_

_He narrowed his eyes. "If I was to get completely serious," he replied, "not only would the simple act of unleashing my full power destroy what's left of this place, but you would likely fall to your knees and start having breathing problems from the sheer pressure of it."_

_Suddenly, a blue light exploded around his body, causing his hair to start to float upwards and creating a huge gust of wind. My eyes widened at the power behind it, putting my senses on edge. Looking down, I actually saw the stone beneath his feet start to crumble apart._

_"This is as far as I dare take it," he told me. "And this is without activating my Resurreccion, my full power." He assumed a ready stance with his katana. "Now, show me what you're really capable of."_

_What could I say? This guy had just showed me power the likes of which I hadn't felt in ages. Not even the Inferno King nor my grandfather could compare to this magnitude of energy, and even among the other six legendary heroes I had faced, perhaps only one or two could lay claim to comparable power. And he was saying this was all he dared to unleashed?_

_I should have felt fear, but instead, I felt something entirely different. Something that surprised even myself._

_"Heh," I muttered, surprising Starrk, who stared at me as if he had misheard. "Heheheheh... hahahahaha... HAHAHAHA!"_

_I have no doubt the sheer suddenness of my laughter just left my companions staring at me like I was crazy. Starrk's next words just confirmed it._

_"I'm sorry, but did I say something funny?"_

_"Oh no no no," I told him as I got my laughter under control, "It's just that... It's been so long since I've faced an opponent that would force me to go this far... It's actually kind of refreshing, in a way."_

_Seeing his interested expression, I continued. "You're strong," I stated. "Plain and simple. Probably stronger than anyone I've ever fought before, if your words about holding back even now are true. I would never thought, given how powerful I've become myself, that I would have use this power again to hope to win a fight."_

_I looked him dead in the eyes. "You desire to see my power?" I asked him as I held Belderiver up to my face. "Then let me show you... the power of the Netherworld!"_

_With a savage swing, I brought the sword back down. "Behold!"_

_I suddenly felt my body grow cold as ice, then a sense of freedom overcame me as shadows crept into my peripheral vision. Looking down at my hands, I watched as darkness seeped out of my armor and absorbed it, until all I could see was shadowy, clawed limbs. Belderiver was gone, though the clawed hands would make a suitable replacement.  
_

_I looked back at Starrk, whose eyes were wide in shock, his mind no doubt attempting to come to terms with what he was looking at, though I noticed he was at least still holding his original stance in preparation. Lilynette, on the other hand, looked like she had just seen a ghost (which was weird, considering she was apparently one...) and it was about to eat her._

_"What the hell!?" she... squeaked(?). "What on Earth are you!?"_

_I chuckled despite myself, my voice distorted by transformation. "Someone who has made many a mistake in his life." I turned back to Starrk. "Shall we begin?"_

_By this point, he had regained his composure. Throwing up one of his hands, lines were drawn in and blue light formed once more. "Cero!"_

_I grinned beneath the shadows. Drawing upon the dark power within me, I _moved_._

_The Cero, large enough to destroy the top of an office building with ease, completely missed me as I raced around it and towards Starrk. However, it would appear that he was anticipating my attack. My claws met steel as he brought his sword up to meet my charge, his expression unreadable as he faced what no doubt appeared as some demon from Hell._

_No words were given, none were needed._

_Sparks flared as we clashed, occasionally striking each other when we saw sufficient openings. Blood fell from Starrk's shoulder, arms, chest and right cheek as my shadows, sharp as blades, cut into him, and what _appeared_ to be blood flowed from my chest, left arm, side and face, only to dissolve like shadows when they left my physical form.__  
_

_We were evenly matched. While I was the superior in strength, Starrk had the advantage in reach. Whereas I could take more damage, as the amount of injuries I had accumulated was perhaps twice as many as his own and yet still fighting as strongly as before could attest to, Starrk was still faster, both in terms of striking and normal speed, though I could match him in the later if I tried hard enough._

_Finally, he attempted the same trick as earlier, creating multiple afterimages of himself all around to confuse me._

_"Not this time," I growled out. Holding my hand out, I drew upon the power of the Belderiver, now merged with my very being. "Phozon Burst!"_

_A burst of crimson power exploded around my body, blowing away all of the images. I quickly searched for the real him, then looked up on instinct. ____Sure enough, there he was perhaps fifteen or so feet up in the air, hand outstretched to charge a Cero._

_"Did you know," he began when he saw that I had noticed him, "that I can..."_

_"Not this time!" I roared as I jumped up to meet him. As long as he didn't form the lines of light, I could stop him and would be fine..._

_Then I noticed that the blue light just appeared in his hand like magic... without the line-gathering from before._

_"...insta-fire Ceros?" he finished simply, then fired at me._

_Remember how I said Lilynette's Cero to the face hurt? Well, that was like getting punched in the face. Starrk's Cero?_

_That was 'hurt' like getting shot in the nads._

_Not even hitting the stone ground hurt as much. Actually, the pain of feeling the ground actually helped me get to my feet. Realizing I only had a few seconds before Starrk checked to see if I was down or not, I used my increased strength to rocket off the ground towards him as even as he put his hand down. There was no way he could charge it again..._

_Another ball of blue light formed in front of his chest as I emerged from the smoke._

_"I can also use them without taking a firing position," he stated matter-of-factly. "So yeah."_

_I didn't even bother to comment how unfair that was, instead just drawing upon the power of the Belderiver again. "Phozon Burst!"_

_"Cero!"_

_Red and blue light collided and exploded. I briefly wondered if anyone was watching this from far away and wondering just who the hell was slinging around what was apparently Magecraft without a care in the world._

_Still, I realized, as I landed back on the ground, I had to end this now. I could feel the familiar sensation of fatigue, a side-effect of using the Belderiver too long, creeping in. If I didn't hurry, this could get ugly._

_Apparently, Starrk had a similar mindset as well, because he suddenly appeared right in front of me in the smoke, katana at the ready. He didn't say anything, but I could tell in his eyes he intended to end it._

_So I obliged him._

_Then I did something incredibly stupid: __I allowed him to stab me in the side._

_...Yes, I just let him put that sword in my side like it belonged there, felt it slide against my armor and pierce my flesh._

_Starrk was probably wondering what the hell happened. In fact, from the look on his face, he obviously was thinking about what the hell was standing still supposed to do for me._

_And I couldn't help but grin, because honestly, while like this, my flesh isn't normal flesh. It's really nothing more than semi-solid shadows bound together. I can't really be injured in this form by normal physical attacks like slashing or stabbing, unless it's some sort of holy weapon. Something like a Cero or magical attack can, but nothing else really. That's why I wasn't affected by Starrk's stab wounds from earlier._

_So, I responded in kind. Using one of my hands to grab his sword, I lifted my other one and sliced Starrk across the chest, not deeply, just a light cut, then closed the distance when he tried to escape and grabbed him by the neck._

_"Yield?" I asked him quietly._

_He stared at me for a moment, no fear evident in his eyes despite my hand being capable tearing out his throat right then and there. He understood this was never meant to be a fight to the death. "Very well," he finally said. "You win."_

_And with that, I let go of his throat, then pulled his sword out of my side, handing it back to him. I then returned to normal, suppressing a shudder as the demonic power left me, Belderiver reappearing in my hand. For a moment I stumbled, only to stop when Starrk held out a hand and grabbed my shoulder._

_"Are you alright?" he asked, voice tinged with concern. "You took that Cero pretty hard and just had a sword lodged in you."_

_"I'll be fine," I muttered quietly. "Just need to sit for a second."_

_I turned my head to where Lilynette was, only to see her staring at the both of us a shell-shocked expression._

_"You... and Starrk... the shadows... Cero..." she mumbled, hands pointing to either of us for a second, then raising them up balled before opening them slightly above her head in exasperation. "Poof!... now you're just the best of buds?" she asked tiredly.  
_

_Starrk and I just looked at each other and shrugged. Girls could be weird like that, I guess._

**_OSG Medical Room_**

"...I'... s..ry."

'...Wh-What?' Shirou thought to himself as he began to become aware of his surroundings, 'Who said that- Ah!'

And with awareness came pain. Pain that made him feel like he had just tried to turn one of his nerves into Magic Circuits again, only now multiplied to include his entire body.

It was comforting, in a way. Pain made it clear he was still alive and with a body, even if he couldn't move right now...

'Wait... why can't I move?' he thought as panic began to seep in. 'And why can't I see? Are my eyes broken? Am I going blind!? Oh God, what if I-'

"...I'm sorry..."

'Wait... there's that voice again,' he thought, previous panic forgotten as curiosity won out. 'Is that... Lambda?'

"It's alright," a male's voice rang out. "He's gonna be fine."

'Edgar?'

"He better be, Edgar," another voice rang out, confirming his thoughts. "Because I'm gonna hit you with a book if he isn't."

'That's Maka,' Shirou thought without hesitation. Only she could make the threat of being hit with books threatening.

"And I'm gonna help her."

'Definitely Soul,' he continued.

"Hey hey hey," came Edgar's voice, "I'm not the only one responsible, you know..."

"Hey, at least Lambda is sorry about it," came Soul's voice. "Besides, she new to all of this. That gets her a pass."

'You know, I should probably try and get up now,' Shirou finally decided. 'Can't keep them waiting.'

He tried moving an arm, almost gasping as he felt the pain explode in him again, forcing him to stop. Apparently someone noticed though, as the conversation from earlier had grown strangely silent.

'Okay, let's try something simpler.'

This time, he concentrated on his eyelids, forcing them open. This time the pain was much less noticeable, like a dull ache in his brain that gave him a headache.

'C'mon,' he thought, 'what was that old saying? _Pain is weakness leaving the body_ or something like that?'

Finally, he got a good view of his surroundings, of which his thought was that it was white and blurry, though the later might just be him. Using his eyes to scan over the room, as he didn't quite trust moving his head to not unleash more pain, he caught sight of four other blurs which slowly solidified as his sight adjusted.

"Shirou!" One of those blurs said as it raced towards him, stopping near his right side. "Are you alright?"

"Maka?" he asked, surprising even himself by how dry and scratchy his voice was. He coughed for a moment, his vision clearing enough to see her concerned face. "Hey, nice to see you. I guess Soul's here too, huh?"

"Right here man," Soul's voice came from nearby as he walked up near Maka, a familiar grin on his face. "How do you feel?"

"Like hell," Shirou muttered as he looked around, finally realizing where he was. "Is this the infirmary?"

"Yeah, you were banged up pretty badly," Soul told him. "You had at least two broken ribs, not to mention slashes on your arm, side and head, and you had quite a bit of internal damage, mostly muscle damage, though there was some damaged blood vessels and internal bleeding."

Shirou winced and then looked down at him himself, noticing the bandages around his arms and chest, as well as feeling one around his head.

'Wait a minute, how long was I out?'

"Hey guys, how long was I..." he trailed off, when he noticed who the other two occupants in the room were. Edgar was leaning on the wall, arms crossed and his eyes closed, while Lambda was standing in the corner, out of her armor and head down, though he could feel her red eyes on him. "Uh... how long have you guys been here?"

"Since you were brought here, about three hours ago," Maka told him. She then noticed where he was looking, her expression changing slightly to one of pity at seeing Lambda. "Though of all of us, Lambda's the only one that's been here the whole time."

"She feels kinda guilty about this," Soul added.

Shirou briefly felt shame for himself at Lambda's expression. Part of the reason he wanted to help people and become a hero of justice was because he wanted to see people smile. Seeing that melancholy expression on her face just didn't sit right with him.

"Hey Lambda," he called out, watching as the blonde girl's head snapped up at the sound of her name. "Could you come over here please?"

Lambda seemed to hesitate for a second, then slowly started to walk over, her head still held down. She finally stop on Shirou's opposite side, still looking down, though if it was in guilt or sadness he couldn't tell.

"Lambda, look at me please."

Again, she hesitated, then lifted her head up, her expression now unreadable. Again, there was something about her that he couldn't quite place yet still made him want to know her better.

"Is there anything you want to say to me?" he asked her.

Lambda stared at him for a long moment, though whether it was intentional or if she was just trying to find a way to articulate a response was beyond him. Finally, she opened her mouth.

"I... apologize for my conduct in our spar," she finally stated. "And I apologize for putting your life in jeopardy near the end."

Shirou blinked, then smiled. "Hey, it's alright. It could have been worse."

Lambda just stared at him. "Had you not turned to intercept the blades in time, I would recommend a 92% chance they would have pierced your armor and your skin to inflict major damage, and from first-hand knowledge of how they managed to pierce your body, I would suggest a 78% chance of fatality from said injuries."

"How did that happen anyways?" Maka asked her suddenly, her tone growing just a tad stronger and guarded. "I thought Edgar said you were fighting with non-lethal intent?"

Dimly, Shirou was aware of Edgar slowly inching towards the door and out of it, shutting the door behind him quietly. However, it would appear that only he noticed this action, as everyone else's attention was on Lambda.

"Previously calculated force necessary to pierce both body armor and human skin to incapacitate target proved inadequate," Lambda replied simply. "While my blades succeeded in piercing his armor, they failed to do the same to his skin for some reason. I later increased the necessary force to compensate, but for some reason target's skin had returned to the hardness of normal human parameters, causing what should have been an incapacitating blow to become potentially fatal."

Suddenly, Shirou felt a cold chill creep down his spine.

"In addition, around this point was when Shirou's attacks grew in strength and speed, as if he had received some form of upgrade to his abilities. I was incapable of piercing his skin with my blades, and he himself was much faster and stronger. Again, those enhancements disappeared near the end, along with his increased endurance."

He was suddenly aware of Maka's gaze on him. 'Please don't make the connection...'

"Perhaps this has some connection to his internal injuries, particularly the muscle damage?" Lambda finished.

"...Shirou," came Maka's deceptively kind voice. "...Did you use self-Reinforcement?"

Shirou noticed Soul shaking his head sadly, while Lambda just stared with a confused expression.

'Here comes the storm...' he thought quietly.

_**Outside**_

Edgar walked down the halls, wincing to himself as he heard Maka's explosive tirade on how stupid Shirou had been even three two doors down.

'Can't say he doesn't deserve it, what with everything that could have gone wrong with that sort of self-Magecraft,' he thought to himself. 'I must admit though, the kid's recovery is amazing. Most people with injuries like that, especially caused by partially botched Magecraft, would take a few days, occasionally weeks, to recover.'

He chuckled. 'Who would have thought Avalon would have such an effect on a person, even without King Arthur to provide Prana? No doubt it's also how he survived turning his nerves into makeshift Magic Circuits in his youth, as well as how he never seemed to be down with from injuries very long. Such is the power of a Conceptual Weapon... even when supposedly it shouldn't be able to function anymore without Arthur's existence, yet the proof is right there in front of me.'

Shirou had apparently required a few more weeks of returning to the hospital for check-ups before he had fully recovered from the fire, yet here he was recovering from some serious damage to his body like nothing.

'Has Avalon's bonding with the boy reached the point where it's speeding up his recovery time, even after being rendered inert?'

The humor then left his thoughts. 'However, even if that's true, that alone won't be enough to help him make his dream a reality...'

Despite that, a small smirk crossed his face. 'But then again,' he added as he thought back to watching Shirou and Lambda's battle, the sheer determination on his face as he successfully Traced his cutlass perfectly and held her at sword-point. 'Maybe it doesn't need to be.'

He then noticed Lyn coming towards him, holding a file he asked her to put together. "Is that it?"

"Yeah," she told him as she placed it in his hands. "All there. Entirely new identity for our newest recruit."

He grinned, opening it up to see Lambda's face on some very official-looking papers. "How is it you can do in less than a day what takes months, even years for people in the normal world?" he asked as he flipped through it.

Lyn shrugged, though there was a smirk of pride on her face. "Plenty of favors and time to prepare for this sort of thing."

Edgar stopped when he saw the name on the papers though. "Why this name?"

"...Would you accept, 'It just felt right'?" she asked simply.

He was silent for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess it does fit."

"Remember, you're the one who's gonna drop this bombshell on Shirou, Maka, and Soul, not me," she reminded him. "This wasn't my idea."

"I wouldn't have it any other way Lyn," Edgar reassured her. "Besides, it's only right for someone like Lambda to have something resembling a normal life."

Lyn looked at him. "Still, rooming her with Shirou? I know he's a nice guy and all, maybe a little too nice for his own good, but she apparently did almost kill him by accident. And while Maka and Soul are willing to let grudges like that go, what the heck will that Taiga and Maiya say about it?"

Edgar waved her off. "Oh don't worry. They're both understanding and bright ladies, from what I understand. They'll see this a great idea."

"...You have no intentions of telling them until Shirou and company are back in Japan in three days time, do you?"

"Yup!"

* * *

**Another chapter down for the count! Wonder how this little development will blow over?**

**Remember, just keep reviewing, faving, and following!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG! Today's my birthday also, so yay for me!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_I must say, we made a strange group traveling around the world. Not even accounting for our appearances: Seriously, Lilynette's clothing (or lack thereof) got plenty of strange looks before we finally got something more conservative, and Starrk's own pure white assembly and my obviously Western armor drew some stares and suspicions from locals._

_Just my luck that Japan happened to be going through some sort of civil war and dealing with pressure from the West at the same time (it was apparently the 1860s), but I didn't get too involved in politics back then. It did, however, make traveling a bitch, as we would sometimes be accosted by bandits, angry villagers, and even Imperial soldiers mistaking us for spies or some such nonsense._

_Not that it mattered. Between the three of us (and skill and power be damned, Lilynette was still far stronger than a normal person or even a trained one) we more or less rolled over anyone who attempted to attack us. We preferred not to kill, mostly because we were powerful enough that we could afford to just knock out our opponents, though there were occasions that we stumbled upon areas and things that... well, let's just say we never lost sleep over killing those particular people._

_Heck, we were even treated as saviors to some villages, and were often restocked and sent on our way with smiles and hopes of safe travel._

_In that time, I got to learn more about Starrk and Lilynette. They taught me (well, as well as a guy who asleep more often than he's awake and a bratty girl with anger issues can teach someone) about their world: About how souls consumed with anger or loss become supernatural beings called Hollows, who feed on human souls and other Hollows until they evolve into more powerful forms called Menos, from the giant dumb Gillians, to the smaller more intelligent Adjuchas, to the human-sized all-mighty Vasto Lordes, of which Starrk was one._

_Hollows that removed their masks, which is apparently what becomes of the soul's heart when it Hollowfied and leaves behind the hole in the body that I noticed Starrk and Lilynette possessed until my healing, become Arrancar, who gain Shinigami powers, the beings whose purpose is to allow souls to cross over to the afterlife and purify Hollows with their blades. The result is the being taking a more humanoid appearance while still keeping the Hollow hole and some remnant of their mask as a fragment, along with sealing a good portion of their power into their weapons, called zanpakuto, that they can then release when necessary to go all out._

_"So your blades are your zanpakuto?" I asked Starrk and Lilynette, pointing to their personal weapons. "Then why didn't Lilynette release during our battle?"_

_The two simply gave each other a glance before turning back to me._

_"Let's just say for now that Lilynette and I," Starrk finally responded, "are an exception to the rule."  
_

_That aside, while I was eager to learn more about their world, I was also puzzled by something. If their Hollow holes represented their lost hearts and their mask fragments were manifestations of them, why had they __disappeared (or in Lilynette's case, become a helmet of sorts?) when I used the Phozon crystals? Was it because the energy somehow restored their hearts? Had I, in some strange fashion, given them physical bodies again? __It would certainly explain why people could actually see and interact with them, even people who apparently had not the slightest trace of spiritual aptitude._

_Of course, if Starrk and Lilynette were shattered by this sort of revelation, they didn't show it. I guess they were sort of the 'go with the flow' kind of people: Stuff happens, move on and enjoy it._

_I, in turn, showed them much about this world as I possibly could. Despite this not being my native land, I had been provided with much information and history about this world when I entered the battle for the miracle. I didn't honestly think it would become relevant to my continued survival though, yet here I was, teaching to them (again, as well as you can teach people like Starrk and Lilynette)._

_After a few months of this, we eventually decided to leave Japan. We smuggled ourselves onto a ship out of the country, and we were on our way to what would become known today as South Korea._

_It was during this time we had our first encounter with the things we call Dead Apostles._

_It was nighttime when it happened. We were hiding out in the ship's hold, ignoring Lilynette's grumbling on why we just didn't take over the whole thing, when we heard screams from above deck. They weren't screams of someone in danger of drowning or someone attempting to rouse the crew to some important task._

_They were the screams of someone in the throes of agony and fear, of something unknown. And they just got louder and more varied as more people got caught up in whatever the hell was happening._

_"W-What the hell was that!?" Lilynette asked fearfully. For the record, much of the brave front she would often put up was really nothing more than an act to assure us that she could handle herself, only dropping when her emotions got the better of her like right now._

_I couldn't blame her honestly. Those screams sent a chill down my own spine._

_"I'll go look," I told her and Starrk, who had been sleeping up until the screaming started (I swear he could sleep in the middle of a combat zone if had a mind to). "If I don't come back in three minutes or you hear me screaming..."  
_

_"Come charging after you sword-swinging and Cero-firing," Starrk finished. "We've done this before, remember."_

_I grimaced. "Might want to hold off on the Ceros," I told him. "I don't want to be in the middle of the ocean out of sight of land with a wrecked ship."_

_He nodded, while Lilynette gripped her sword nervously.  
_

_"You okay?" I asked her._

_She gave me a glare. "I-I'm fine! Just get going."_

_I shrugged, turning to leave. Even as I did, however, I heard her briefly mutter under her breath. "Be careful, alright?"_

_I smiled at that. Quickly making my way to the door to the upper-deck, I paused for a moment before opening it softly. Exiting the hold, I took a moment to draw my sword while taking in my surroundings._

_Let's just say I wasn't expecting what I saw._

_"What in Odin's name...?" I muttered in disgust._

_The entire deck looked like a massacre, at least from what I could see. The crew wasn't that large from my knowledge (we had literally just chosen the first ship out with a large enough hold for us to hide in), but I wouldn't have been surprised if every member was on the deck dead. Blood was all over the deck, along with weapons that appeared to have been drawn in vain against some attacker, shining in the moonlight when they weren't covered in blood._

_I was about to go back and signal Starrk and Lilynette to come up on deck and help me search for any survivors and the bastard who did this when I became aware of the fact that one of the bodies was starting to move. For a moment, hope sprung up at the thought that I wasn't too late to help someone._

_That hope died the moment I saw the man had a giant part of his shoulder missing, and was staring at me with red, lifeless eyes._

_"Goddamnit," I muttered softly, then took a ready stance when I realize the other bodies were starting to get up as well. All of them had different injuries, some downright gruesome, yet all had the same look in their eyes as the first. "Better take care of this first."_

_Surprising enough, it wasn't that hard exterminating the dozen or so ghouls in front of me. I went about it with the ease of a kid stomping ants to death under his shoes. They couldn't compete with my speed nor my strength, and even with the limitations of space to be on, I had no problem slaughtering them. __I couldn't even feel any trace of life-energy being absorbed into my sword, meaning they were literally just empty husks._ It was over in seconds.

_Good thing too, because no sooner had I caved in the last one's skull that I barely avoided getting stabbed in the back. It was only the sound of wind whistling when there was no breeze that warned me of the blade in time._

_I meet my assailant with a clash of blades after that initial strike, taking in his or her appearance. The figure was wrapped in some sort of robe, though it was of respectable height, and the face was hooded. However, I could make out the red eyes that shined under the hood's shadow, as well as the white sharp teeth that gleamed in the moonlight. The blade was some sort of katana, though it was oddly shaped: The blade had a sort of continuously-curving edge, like ocean waves, probably to cause more devastating cuts on an enemy._

_No words were exchanged, and none were needed. I could tell this was the person who did this to the crew, and he or she could tell that I was a dangerous opponent, if the way it had attacked me after my slaughter indicated, and that it knew I was too great a threat to let live._

_I found it somewhat refreshing, fighting an enemy who understood that sometimes no words are needed, only the need to end a fight as quickly as possible._

_Like a true Assassin..._

_Unfortunately (for him/her), our fight was cut short when two football-sized crimson blasts of energy tore straight my opponent, one through the chest where the heart would be, and the other through the right side of the head, tearing away the hood to reveal a look of shock plastered on its face._

_Turns out my opponent was a guy after all._

_I looked up, seeing both Starrk and Lilynette with outstretched hands in front of me, their other hands on their swords as they looked around the deck._

_"All this..." Lilynette muttered, looking like she was about to get sick and throw up, "was caused by that thing?"_

_The vampire (for that was all I could assume it was if the eyes and teeth were any indication) fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes, dissolving into ash as it did so before becoming nothing more than a lump of cloth on the ground. I stabbed the article of clothing with my sword, holding it as far away from myself as I could before dropping it into the ocean._

_"Yeah," I muttered, flicking a few remaining drops of blood off my blade. "I don't know if that's all of them though."_

_Starrk's face was twisted in a look of disgust as he scanned the deck once more, a stark contrast to his normally calm and somewhat bored demeanor, before setting his sight on the undead's weapon. With a kick, he sent it over the edge of the ship into the ocean. "Then we should go and check."_

_I nodded, while Lilynette just looked somewhat queazy. The next ten minutes or so were spent combing the remainder of the ship to weed out any remaining ghouls, of which we found about four or so. They were easily and quickly dispatched, as we decided it was the most merciful thing we could do for them. The next half-hour or so was spent throwing the corpses off the deck while giving them something resembling last rites (I personally didn't have much stock in eternal paradise, but that didn't mean I would deny others a chance for it)._

_From there, we spent our time trying to keep the ship on course for our last destination, using the captain's log and what few navigation items were on the ship. I wouldn't say we were master sailors by any stretch of the word, but we managed._

_It was during this time I noticed something of a change in Lilynette's behavior. Unlike before, when she was always the excitable and angry one of the group and the one who could actually keep everyone's spirits up, she had begun to exhibit a more somber side of herself, going about her tasks with a bit of glumness and efficiency. And while I couldn't say that I necessarily hated her new sense of seriousness, it was such a departure from her norm that I couldn't help but be concerned._

_When I asked Starrk about it though, he didn't seem that concerned._

_"Don't worry about it," he told me confidently as he washed part of the deck that still had blood on it. "She gets like this every now and again when stuff like this happens. I think it reminds her somewhat of a good portion of our former lives."_

_I winced slightly. Starrk had told me more about their personal history while we had traveled Japan. Apparently, they spent a good deal of their lives alone with only each other for company. Anytime anyone else tried to get close to them, they would ultimately die a rather gruesome death due to Starrk's own uncontrollable power and presence literally killing them. Eventually, they got better, but neither of them ever forgot those cold times they had spent with only each other for company._

_Still..._

_"You think I should talk to her about it?"_

_He looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. "It's your choice."_

_'Well, that was a big piece of useful info,' I thought to myself as I walked away. "Didn't even bother to give me any potential tips for how to approach her on this.'_

_Despite that, I still decided to approach Lilynette anyways. I found her by the bow of the ship, silently staring over the ocean as if lost in thought, and to my surprise holding her horned helmet in one hand._

_I had to admit, when she was like this it was easy to forget she was a bit of annoying girl. It made her seem more mature and her age._

_"Hey," I called out to her. "What'cha doing out here?"_

_She stiffened slightly, turning her head to look at me with her eyes widened in surprise. "Wha-" she started, then shook her head, replacing it with a familiar half-hearted scowl. "Er... nothing! Just wanted some fresh air is all."_

_Ah, there was the Lilynette I knew. I shrugged. "Oh. Well, you looked a little lonely, just standing there all by yourself with that helmet."_

_She looked confused for a moment, then looked down at her helmet as if she had just noticed it. "Well... I'm just fine, thanks!"_

_She probably expected this was the part I would just leave her alone again, though I had no intentions of doing so. Instead, I just walked up next to her and stood there. "Care to share?"_

_Sure enough, she looked at me like I was crazy, then sighed. "Whatever."_

_We stood there in silence, just staring out over the ocean. However, I could almost feel the tension surrounding her, no doubt wondering why I was right here, and only growing stronger the longer we stood silent._

_Finally, it was I who broke it when I judged it right, but moments before she would have done so herself. "Something troubling you?"_

_She blinked, probably coming to terms with the suddenness of my question and the lack of needing to start it herself. "N-Nothing!" she replied. "I'm fine, like I said before."_

_"You hesitated."_

_"So?"  
_

_"One of the best ways to see if a person is lying or not is to listen for hesitation."_

_"I'm not lying!"_

_I raised an eyebrow. "I never said you were lying; I said you hesitated."_

_"You were implying I was!"  
_

_"Were you?"_

_"No!"_

_"Then why are you so defensive about it?"_

_She huffed. "You're the most annoying person I've ever met, you know that?" she grumbled._

_More and more like her normal self. I was making progress._

_"What's with the mood swings?" I asked her suddenly._

_"Huh?" Apparently she wasn't ready with this sort of questioning._

_"Ever since what happened to the crew, you've been acting all mopey and serious all the time. I haven't seen you get this riled up in a while about anything."_

_She just looked at me for a second, then back out over the water. "...It just brought up some old memories I don't like."_

_"Wanna talk about it?"_

_"...No thanks."_

_I glanced down once again at her helmet, briefly wondering why she had never gotten rid of it in all the time we had been traveling. It really didn't serve any practical purpose; she barely even bothered to wear it as a true helmet while going into battle. It was just sort of something she lugged around._

_"Do you keep that thing as a reminder?"_

_She looked back at me; her face partially annoyance that I hadn't left yet, and part confusion at my words. "What?"_

_I gestured to her helmet. "You don't even really use it much while fighting, honestly. Do you just keep as a memory of what you once were, since you have no other way of doing so?"_

_"What's it to you?" she asked me, her face twisting more and more into annoyance. "Maybe it does have sentimental value, but so what? It's mine and I can do whatever I want with it. And by the way, why are you even here anyways? Just spit it out."_

_Yeah, let it be known I could never effectively communicate something to someone else that well, but I pressed on._

_"...You don't have to keep everything bottled up inside, you know." I replied. "You can always count on me or Starrk to offer a shoulder to lean on if you need it."_

_She just stared at me. "Yeah whatever softie," she replied sarcastically, "if I need to, I'll take you up on that offer some other time."_

_Then I did something she didn't expect: I lifted my hand and placed it on her shoulder, not uncomfortably, just as a friendly gesture._

_"I'm not kidding, Lily," I told her quietly and sincerely. "If you need me, I'll be there."  
_

_She had a look on her face right then that would have bested any shock caused by lightning striking her. Not surprising, as this was perhaps the most emotional and kind to her I had ever been yet. Most of our interactions up to this point were like a responsible brother and prankster younger sister, not the best combination imaginable._

_"L-Lily?" was the only thing she could say to me._

_I chuckled. "Oh, that's right; that name's way too girly for you. How about... Lyn?"_

_She just nodded dumbly, probably not fully registering what was said. I took my hand off her shoulder and turned around, preparing to leave._

_"Wait!"_

_I looked back, noticing that she seemed somewhat insecure right then, shuffling her feet like a naughty schoolgirl of some sort._

_"Could you... stay a little longer?" she finally asked, trying to avoid eye contact._

_I smiled despite myself. "...I can spare a few more minutes."_

_I swear I almost saw her grin when she turned back around._

_**Fuyuki City Airport (Several Days Later)**_

Shirou stepped off the airplane onto his native soil for the first time in months, taking a moment to breathe in the familiar smell of Fuyuki. He grinned despite himself. Finally, he was back home.

"Don't stand there all day man. You'll have plenty of time to take it all back in on the way home."

Shirou turned around, watching as Soul came up behind him holding their carry-on bags over his shoulder. Shirou quickly moved to help him, grabbing one and putting over his own shoulder.

"Sorry," he replied with a somewhat embarrassed grin as they continued to walk towards the baggage claim. "It's kind of a tradition I have."

Soul shrugged. "Nothing wrong with that." He then looked around. "Now where did Maka and Lambda get too? They didn't get off long before we did, so where are they?"

Shirou looked around the baggage claim as well, grabbing one of their bags while he was at it. "No idea. Maybe they went on ahead?"

Soul frowned, grabbing another bag as well, joining Shirou as they began to walk towards the entrance/exit of the airport. "Yeah... maybe they've already met up with Maiya and Taiga, and they're just waiting for us."

Shirou managed to suppress a shudder. "Wonder how they took the news of our newest... tenant?"

It had been the thing that had stalked Shirou's every thought for the past three days up 'till this point. He still remembered how that had blown over...

_Edgar opened the door to his room once again, attracting Maka's attention away from her lecture/rant on how idiotic he had been to use self-Reinforcement, to which he was grateful. He would have almost taken fighting Lambda again over this verbal beatdown._

_"Am I interrupting something?" he had asked confusedly as he looked on the scene, which was of Soul and Lambda standing awkwardly on either side of the bed while Maka had adopted a sort of lecturing pose, to which Shirou himself was doing his best to look both partially interested in what was being said while simultaneously attempting to tune it all out._

_"No, you're not," Soul thankfully said, causing Maka to shoot him a glare. "We were about wrapped up anyways."_

_"Okay then!" Edgar continued, then pulled something out from behind his back, handing it directly to Maka. "I need to give you this then."_

_Maka looked at it, confusion crossing her face. "But this is..."_

_"Just open it," Edgar told her._

_Maka did, scanning the contents before putting it down. Then she picked it up and read it again. Then she rubbed her eyes and read it again. Then she put it back down and pinched the bridge of her nose before looking at Edgar._

_"Are you serious?"_

_"Completely."_

_"What is it?" Soul asked. "What's wrong?"_

_Maka didn't answer for a moment, then picked up the folder and handed it to him. "Open it and see for yourself."_

_Soul did, then put it back down, staring at Edgar. "Are you serious?"_

_"Exactly."_

_Shirou looked at everyone with confusion, then slowly lifted one of his hands, surprised at how fast he had managed to recover. "Umm, is there something important going on that I don't know about?"_

_Everyone looked at me for a second, then Maka sighed and lifted up the folder. "This," she gestured, "is the new identity of your good friend Lambda-11, now officially known as 'Noel Valenzuela', a relative of an associate of our good friend Edgar."_

_Shirou looked over at Lambda, who was listening with what appeared to be slowly mounting interest, then back to Maka. "...So? Shouldn't we be happy about that? And what does it have to do with us?"_

_In answer, Maka just opened the folder and scanned the page for a certain line, which she placed her finger on and read aloud. "'Place of Residence: Fuyuki City under the care of the Emiya family as an adopted member.'"_

_"...What?"_

Shirou honestly didn't know how the hell Edgar had gotten all those official papers drawn up so damn fast, but it didn't really matter so much as how he did it than the fact it actually happened.

After an... interesting little talk, Edgar made it pretty clear that she was going with them and that was final. His reasoning had been along the lines of: "This girl deserves a chance for something resembling a normal life interacting with normal people, and she's sure as hell not gonna get that here. Besides, the Emiya residence is more than big enough to store one more person, and I know you're all the best role models a person could have... compared, once again, to some of the people here."

Not that Shirou personally minded, far from it: He was actually rather excited that he would have someone else to spar with at home and part of him looked forward to interacting more with Lambda. He was just worried what the hell Taiga and Maiya would think about this.

Soul's face took on a slightly irritated look, though Shirou could tell it wasn't directed at any of the people mentioned, just the one that made all this happen. "Depends. Do they know she almost killed you?"

"...Probably not."

"Then we shouldn't get anymore than a scolding for bringing in a supposed freeloader from Maiya." Soul decided. "She finds it annoying enough that Taiga is mooching off us."

"Rin and Sakura do it too sometimes," Shirou pointed out, feeling compelled to defend his on-again/off-again swordmaster whenever Soul and Maka weren't around to help him practice for real. Still, even with how good he had become in the past two years, Taiga could still dominate him in a practice bout with only some effort.

"They contribute: Helping around the house, cooking the food, setting the table, washing the plates, the works. Taiga just lays around expecting to be fed without any actions to deserve it."

"That's a mean thing to say about your friend and sensei, Soul, Shirou," a cheerful voice suddenly rang out as something landed on their opposite shoulders.

It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say two almost-unmanly yells came out of both of their mouths at the sheer suddenness of the grab as they turned their heads to see Taiga smiling at them both (though for some reason, the sight of it managed to send a chill down both their spines) with her eyes closed.

"Fuji-nee!" Shirou yelped, "It's good to see you!"

"Taiga!" Soul squeaked at the same time. "How've ya been... and how long were you behind us?"

"Oh, I just found you two," she replied with that slightly unsettling smile. "Maiya and I had already met up with Maka and that new girl Noel, but you two were taking a while, so they sent me to find you." The smile slipped slightly as her eyes opened to slits. "Now, what was that I heard about someone being a freeloader?"

"N-Nothing!" Soul quickly assured her. "I was just talking about someone I know back at my old home state. Who did you think I meant?"

Her eyes opened back to normal and her smile went back to being a genuinely cheery one. "Oh, alright then." She then gave Soul a hug. "It's good to see you again Soul!"

Soul sighed as he returned it. "Good to see you too, Tiger."

For a moment, Shirou flinched at the mention of that forbidden nickname, expecting Taiga to attack Soul right then and there in public. Instead, all Taiga did was narrow her eyes slightly as a smirk crossed her face. "Yeah whatever... Lover Boy."

Shirou watched as Soul stiffened, then looked at her. "She didn't..."

"She didn't," Taiga conceded, "but I saw the ring and put two and two together. I'm so happy to see you're finally moving along in your relationship!"

Soul let go of her with a grumble. "I'm gonna ask Maka if we can 'misplace' your invitation..."

Taiga ignored him and focused on Shirou, frowning when she got a good look at him. "Shirou... is that a scar?"

He brought a hand up to his head, briefly rubbing the spot where one of Lambda's blades had cut him. He had made a full recovery from his injuries in only just two days, though he still had scars where Lambda had managed to cut him deeply, including one on his side.

"Yeah, it's nothing to worry about," he assured her. "Perfectly fine."

She cocked an eyebrow, then just shrugged as she gave him his welcoming hug. "Only you can undersell something like that like it's no big deal," she muttered, then turned her head to look at him. "So, did you get my gift?"

Shirou nodded. "I did, and thanks Fuji-nee," he told her warmly.

Taiga then grinned. "Did you get me something then?"

Shirou rolled his eyes and was about to say something when another voice cut him off.

"So that's where you three got to."

Turning their heads, they saw Maiya, along with both Maka and Lambda, walking towards them. "Taiga, when I said 'go find them', I didn't mean 'stop and chat' with them also."

Taiga chuckled nervously while Soul waved. "Hey Ms. Hisau."

She nodded back. "Soul," then she focused her attention on Shirou, her face softening slightly. "Hello Shirou."

Shirou, for his part, couldn't keep the grin off his face as he hugged her. "Hey Mom," he said. "I'm back."

"And with new roommates, I take it?"

Shirou chuckled nervously as he looked over at Lambda, who was standing rather close to Maka and had been watching the proceedings with surprising interest.

After Edgar had told them in no uncertain terms that Lambda was going with them, they had taken the time to pick out a more modern clothes set for her with her input. She was currently wearing a plain black shirt with some yellow on the shoulders, chest and upper back areas, a grey jacket, blue jeans, and grey shoes with yellow highlights. Her hair was still in its long braid (minus the blade), and upon her head wearing a grey and black beret with yellow highlights here and there, and on her right hand was a silver bracelet. Funny enough, she was also wearing a pair of sunglasses that covered her red eyes.

"I guess Maka has already introduced you?" Shirou asked.

"Yes, she did introduce us to Ms. Noel Valenzuela," Maiya replied, glancing over to Lambda, who awkwardly waved, "and she also told me that she would be staying with us for the foreseeable future."

"Again, I hope it's not too much of a bother..." Maka began, but Maiya held up her hand for silence.

"As long as Ms. Noel doesn't believe she'll just be leeching off of us without anything in return like another certain person I know..."

"Hey!" Taiga yelled out, though everyone ignored her.

"...then there's no problem," Maiya finished.

"I have no intentions of doing any such things," Lambda supplied helpfully in her quiet voice, though it seemed to have lost the monotone. "I will do whatever it is you ask of me, as Mr. Silverstein requested me to if you did so."

Shirou glanced at her in confusion. Edgar had said that?

Maiya just stared at her for a moment and then nodded. "Then that's settled." She then turned around. "We should be going then."

Taiga looked at Lambda for a moment as they started to leave. "Mr. Silverstein must mean a lot to you if don't seem that bothered by that, Ms. Valenzuela."

"I owe him a great debt," Lambda replied, then glanced over towards Maka, who made a brief motion with her hand. Shirou had no idea what it meant, but Lambda apparently did, as she then looked back towards Taiga. "And please, Ms. Fujimura, call me Noel."

Taiga grinned and started to spout off some words that to Shirou's ears started to blend together like a video on fast-forward, but Lambda seemed to be taking it all in by nodding and shaking her head at different intervals.

"Well, she's certainly taking all of this in pretty good," Soul muttered quietly to Maka.

"I had time on the plane to teach her how to deal with Taiga," Maka replied just as softly. "Just nod and shake your head at random intervals whenever she gets going, then rely on normal answers when she calms down."

Suddenly Taiga turned back around to Shirou. "Hey Shirou, what about that souvenir?"

Shirou rolled his eyes, hoping this could have waited until they were back at the house. Still, he dug into his pocket and pulled something out, placing it into her waiting palm.

She opened it to see... a piece of candy?

"That's not just any candy," Shirou clarified when Taiga gave him a 'are-you-serious?' look. "That's candy from Mr. Silverstein's personal stash. It's said that the simple taste is enough to make you think that you just ate the most amazing thing in your life." He shrugged. "I've never eaten it for myself though, so I don't know how true that is..."

Taiga looked at it for a moment, then unwrapped it, seeing a dark brown sphere roughly the size of an average 2 cm jawbreaker. She then slowly popped it into her mouth, taking a moment to let it settle before sucking on it.

Five seconds later, she collapsed onto the ground, face twisted into an expression of bliss.

Everyone just stared at her unconscious form for a moment before Lambda broke it.

"...It would appear the rumors are true."

* * *

**And that's it for this chapter. I couldn't bring myself to write anymore.**

**On an unrelated note, I'm think about ending this in the next four or so chapters, so anyone waiting for the Fifth Holy Grail War, then congrats! It's coming soon!**

**Remember people, keep faving, following, and reviewing!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_You know, I'm surprised I've written this much about my history in this little journal. I had originally started this as a half-hearted attempt to humor Harbinger, yet now I find myself actually giving serious thought to what I'm writing down. It's almost as if a part of me is glad to finally have the opportunity to write my story out for others to read about._

_...Or maybe I'm just as drunk as Cooter Brown, who knows?_

_Either way, just to give a quick summary of what happened after we finally arrived in at land: We snuck off the ship with the necessary supplies we needed, left to locals to whatever was left on the ship and began traveling inland. From there, we faced something resembling what we found in Japan, bandits and the like, though wild animals more or less took the place of trained soldiers attacking us._

_After several weeks, we finally crossed the border into China. I don't have much to say about it: Opium trade and all that. Never touched the stuff and have no intentions to. Once again, we were attacked by bandits and occasionally the odd patrol of trained soldiers whenever we accidentally caused trouble in populated towns (like accidentally, though I would have had no problems doing it purposely, blowing an opium den skyhigh, or killing a corrupt official that thought he could mess with us)._

_Eventually however, after perhaps a year of wandering every which way and that and being caught up in some things I'd really rather not talk about, we ended up saving the life of a Frenchman by the name of Jean-Pierre, who, in gratitude, managed to smuggle us aboard a ship bound for France. We endured the several-month long trip (as to how they never found us, we're just good like that. Superspeed is a godsend in places like this.) and eventually found ourselves in France during the reign of Napoleon III, the Second Empire._

_It was during this time we finally got clothing that would help us blend in better. Funny enough, we all chose to wear men's clothing, as Lilynette took one look at those dresses and made perhaps the funniest face of disgust I've ever seen. It also helped that due to her age she could pass for a boy with a falsetto voice. I noticed that she went for something that had more color than her normal white clothing, choosing a brown coat and trousers with, of all things, a light-pink undershirt and blue tie, alongside a brown hat. I guess she was just really tired of wearing only white and black. Starrk just went with the standard black coat and trousers with white undershirt and black tie, though even he changed it sometime later to a light grey._

_Unfortunately, as we were now passing alongside 'civilized people', we always had to keep our weapons out of sight. Myself and Lilynette could actually summon our swords whenever we needed to so it wasn't much of a problem, but Starrk didn't have that luxury. So, he fashioned a cane of sorts out of the sheath so he could look at least somewhat inconspicuous, not to mention his sword was long and narrow enough for such a thing to work._

_Our time in France? Well, that was a step-up in some ways. We didn't have to worry about being attacked by bandits; they seemed in-touch enough with civilization here to understand that my thousand-yard stare meant I would have no problem beating them to death with my bare hands. It was cleaner living in several ways, and once we got past the language barrier, it wasn't half-bad._

_At the same time though, there were far more pricks and ungrateful bastards here than back in the Third World. Save a man's life there, he would be in your debt at least until he fulfilled it. Save one here, and you would have to keep one eye on him in the event he tried to backstab you. We also got in trouble with the police a lot more, probably because it was a hell of a lot more organized and willing to respond to disturbances to the peace that we so unfortunately caused._

_But hey, at least here we were guaranteed something soft to sleep on every night more or less, so I couldn't complain too much. I admit, I myself was in particular amazed by Paris. It was a sight I never thought to see, so large that it made most other cities I had seen beforehand look tiny in comparison. Even my forgotten homeland of Titania was but a hill basking in the splendor of a mountain._

_The food and wine was also rather good as well. I've never seen anyone get drunk on just one glass, but maybe he was just a lightweight._

_In the slums of Paris we also found more of those ghouls that we saw on the ship, though they were easy to be rid of. We even found one or two more of those Dead Apostles, which again, were no match for us despite being far more powerful than normal humans._

_After a couple of months of this, we made our way to England, where we found pretty much more of the same, save that now we traded French for the surprisingly easier English, something my companions knew how to speak for sure. We eventually made it to London, and I must admit that it was in many ways different from Paris, most noticeably in feel. Paris felt like you were among the newest things, the finest of all Europe's desires flocking together. It created a sense of 'here and now'. London, while certainly similar in terms of modernality, had a slower, more nostalgic feel to it of days gone by. In many ways, it reminded me of home, which is probably why I recall it more fondly than Paris._

_It was also where we had our first real contact with Zeltrech once again._

_We weren't even expecting to find him. If anything, he found us. We had taken a moment to settle down at a cafe in the downtown area, quietly sipping some black coffee (well, I was. Lilynette was having tea and Starrk was drinking with some cream. I prefer my stuff strong.) and looking at a newspaper. It was quiet, peaceful, and all-around rather pleasant._

_I think I had almost given up my quest to find Zeltrech by this point and was just aimlessly wandering to enjoy the sights, to which my companions couldn't have agreed more to. This world truly interested them, and they went about experiencing it with gusto. I was just sort of along for the ride with the task of leading. I had even begun to truly feel like I had something to live for again: My two companions had become the only constants in my life, quirks aside, and they had given me strength to keep living every day without those dark thoughts from before. If anything, I had begun to see them less as originally somewhat annoying tagalongs (more so Lilynette than Starrk) and more as friends... and dare I say: family?_

_Then my calm day was shattered when a familiar voice sang out next to me, "Enjoying your journey so far?"_

_I nearly choked on my drink as I started coughing, trying to get out the coffee that went down the wrong way. I turned my head to see, big shocker, Wizard Marshal Zeltrech near me with his own cup of coffee and a book... which I could have sworn appeared to be some sort of porn gallery..._

_"What the hell are you doing here?" I managed to get out between coughs._

_He looked hurt. "Well, I happen to call London my home, good sir. If anything, I should be asking what you and your friends are doing here."_

_The 'friends' in question looked like they were about to pull out their weapons, but Zeltrech held up a hand in appeasement. "Please, please, let's not fight in a public place."_

_Starrk and Lilynette looked reluctant, but I waved them off, so they relaxed. While their expressions were still guarded, they were now also filled with curiosity._

_"So," Starrk began slowly, "You're the Wizard Marshal Zeltrech that Oswald's told us so much about: The man who's responsible for him saving us."_

_"Indeed I am," he replied pleasantly, taking Starrk's hand and giving it a firm energetic shake. "It's a pleasure to properly meet you, Mr. Coyote Starrk." He then turned towards Lilynette, hand outstretched in greeting. "As it is for you, Miss Lilynette Gingerbuck."_

_Lilynette just stared at it like she was considering chopping it off. I gave her a 'do not even think about it' look, to which she just rolled her eyes and finally shook it. "Yeah, likewise."_

_Zeltrech then looked at me again, taking a sip from his drink. "So, what brings you to the fine city of London?"_

_"Random roving," I responded. "As a matter of fact, we didn't even know you would be here."_

_"My good man, I'm wherever I think will be most entertaining," he chuckled as he flipped a page in whatever book he was looking at. "Though I won't lie when I say that London is one of my preferred stomping grounds. A whole lot of interesting phenomena makes its home here."_

_Suddenly, I remembered exactly what I needed to do if I saw him again. "By the way, there's something I've been meaning to say to you for a long while..."_

_"Yes-"_

_Quick as a flash, I finally managed to sock that old fool in the face. Luckily for me, the part of the cafe we were in happened to be rather devoid of spectators, so there were no witnesses to the deed. I don't what the charge and sentence was for assaulting an old man in public in those days were, but I had no intentions of finding out._

_"That was for just leaving me there with these two to wandered around the world and for all the other shit you pulled," I told him. "I've been waiting to do that for a while, and be damned if it didn't feel good."_

_Zeltrech shook his head briefly, though it was likely more to clear it than disagree with what I had to say. "Well," he gasped, pinching the bridge of his nose to be certain it wasn't broken, "I won't deny I probably deserved that one..." Apparently satisfied his face was in no way damaged save for a small bruise on his cheek, he looked at me with an appraising eye. "Now that you have that out of your system, have you given time to think about that offer I made you?"_

_"Offer?" Then I remembered something about Zeltrech offering me a second chance or some such nonsense. "Oh yes, that offer..."_

_"You didn't even give it a second thought, did you?" Zeltrech deadpanned._

_I shook my head._

_"Of course you didn't," Zeltrech sighed. "Oh well, I never elaborated on it anyways, so I suppose it's partly my fault as well..."_

_"What was the offer?" Starrk asked curiously. "This is the first I've heard of it."_

_"Well, you and your friend were unconscious at the time, so that makes sense," Zeltrech replied. "Basically, I wanted to offer your good friend Oswald a chance to lead a new little organization I'm been dreaming up."_

_I put my drink down. "Okay, I'm leaving."_

_Zeltrech looked at me. "Could you at least listen to the pitch before you reject it?"_

_I snorted. "Look, even if I did believe for a moment you could form some secret organization..."_

_"I'm the reason you even met your comrades across entirely different dimensions," Zeltrech reminded me. "If I can do that, who says I don't have the pull to start my own organization?"_

_"...And even if you do have that ability, why in the world would you choose me to be its leader?" I finished regardless. "I'm not leadership material..."_

_"You lead us pretty well," Starrk pointed out as he sipped his drink._

_"We're a small group of three people," I told him. "Not a large-scale organization. I'm not qualified for such a thing."_

_Zeltrech sighed. "Well, my only other options are a lazy bum who would rather sleep than do any paperwork (Starrk shrugged.) or a teenager with anger issues ("Hey!" Lilynette yelled indignantly.), so you're the only other one left."  
_

_I just stared at him for a long moment. I still don't understand why the hell I didn't just walk out of that cafe: Nothing was stopping me. I could have just upped and left right then and there. What need did I have to get involved in the politics in this world?_

_I may not have known much about the world in full, but did know there were at least three major powers that had some pull on the supernatural aspects of the world: The Mage's Association headed by the Clock Tower (which like an idiot I only figured out later was based in Britain and even more so in London); the Holy Church, who hunted Vampires and Dead Apostles and had a sort of cold-war relationship with the Association; and of course the Dead Apostle Ancestors, essentially the 'leaders', for lack of a better term, of said Vampires and other Dead Apostles and more often than not in direct conflict the previous two._

_Forming a large-scale organization as Zeltrech was implying? That would put me in potentially direct conflict with all three, who probably wouldn't take kindly to an usurper in their little power struggles (well, the Association definitely would. The Church and DAAs would probably consider me at best a nuisance, something that had to be watched to ensure it didn't do something incredibly stupid for the sake of the human race and their own existence respectively. The Association would oppose me for the simple reason that I'm an irregular existence that shouldn't belong in this world anymore and would be a perfect specimen for study in the name of Thaumaturgy's advancement).  
_

_Yet why was it I couldn't bring myself to exit that cafe? Why did a part of me want to stay and listen to the words of this man?_

_Zeltrech noticed my hesitation. "Interested?"_

_For a moment, I once again seriously considered leaving. This could only get me in trouble one way or another._

_Then I looked over at Starrk and Lilynette. To my surprise, they were both staring at me with a familiar look. It was the look they gave me whenever we were about to fight a battle, the look that said they entrusted their very lives to me and my decisions. That whatever happened next, they would accept and follow me willingly._

_Perhaps it was that realization that I wouldn't be alone in whatever followed is what finally made my decision._

_Finally, I sighed. "What did you have in mind, old fart?"_

**_Fuyuki City, Emiya Residence_**

"Alright then: Soul, take Taiga's left arm. Maka and Lambda, grab the legs. Shirou, get the door."

With a jingle of keys, the door to the Emiya Residence was open, and Shirou took a moment to take in the sights and smells of home. He then quickly moved out of the way, allowing the procession carrying the still-unconscious Taiga Fujimura, face still with that blissful expression, into the house.

"Alright," Maiya said as they maneuvered into the living room, "let's set her down gently."

There was a brief _thud _as Taiga's head impacted with the doorframe, caused by a too-quick and miscalculated turn.

"I said _gently_, Soul!"

"You're as much to blame, Maiya!"

Despite that mishap, Taiga's rock-hard head didn't seem to register anything save a brief snort. They managed to get her into the room and quickly chose the spare sleeping mat in the corner, laying her down gently.

Maiya sighed, then looked over at the others. "Well, I suppose someone should show Noel around. Anyone here willing to do that?"

Shirou raised his hand quickly. Maiya rolled her eyes at the sight, then shrugged. "Alright then. I'll leave your stuff in your room." She then turned to Maka and Soul. "You two staying the night as usual?"

They nodded. It wasn't uncommon for either of them to crash at the place for a night or two after coming back from a trip, or even just in general. There was certainly enough room for them all.

"Well, help me with your stuff then."

The three adults left the room for the bags, with Maka giving the other two a nod of encouragement before leaving. For their part, Shirou and Lambda just stood there for a few seconds, expecting and waiting for the other to say something. The only thing breaking the silence was Taiga's occasional snore.

"...How has she not choked on that piece of candy yet?" Lambda finally asked, staring at Taiga's mouth. "It couldn't have dissolved that fast."

"No idea," Shirou replied simply. "It might have something to do with the candy, or just Fuji-nee in general."

Another brief pause, then one of them seemed to realize just how stupid they looked just standing there.

"So!" Shirou quickly said, clapping his hands together and briefly surprising his companion, who looked for a moment like she was about to start hurling swords before calming down. "About that tour, eh?"

...

"So Soul, is there something you want to tell me about your friend Noel?"

The two of them were currently carrying their respective luggage into the house, with the exception of Maiya holding Shirou's, and had just stopped in front of Soul's room when she finally asked that question. The Weapon briefly glanced towards Maka's room, in which the named occupant was currently busy unpacking some of her stuff, then back towards Maiya.

"I don't know," Soul admitted. "How much did Maka tell you when you met her back at the airport?"

"That she was a new recruit with nowhere to go. Since she seemed to hit it off well with Shirou, Edgar decided it might be best to let her live with someone who had a 'normal' life and wouldn't take advantage of her."

"She said that?"

"It was what it more or less translated to," Maiya replied, opening the door for Soul. "This 'hitting off' with Shirou, it wouldn't have anything to do with that scar on his forehead, would it?"

Soul was silent for a second as he tried to think of a nonhazardous way to break this, then sighed. "It would..." He noticed the slight shift in her stance and quickly added, "By accident, for the record. You really think Shirou would allow someone in his home that tried to seriously kill him? Or Edgar would allow someone like that around?"

Maiya relaxed slightly, turning her head slightly to notice Shirou showing Noel the dining area, the latter seeming to only be half-listening to whatever the former was saying: Probably to do with cooking.

"True," she admitted. "I suppose I just have trouble trusting those who hide their eyes for some reasons."

"Probably didn't want to attract unwanted attention," Soul replied. "She has red eyes like me. I can at least get away with calling it albinism."

Maiya chuckled slightly at that, then her face grew serious again. "Still, if she attempts to hurt him..."

"Then she'll pay for it," Soul finished for her. "I don't see that happening though. I haven't known her long, but she's good girl: Quiet and a little weird, yeah, but nice. Just give her a chance, the same one you gave Maka and me."

Maiya was silent for a moment, watching as Shirou guided Noel back outside, then sighed. "I suppose you're right." She then began to walk towards Shirou's room. "I'm still watching her, you hear me?"

Soul had to bite back a laugh. This was truly a far cry from the old Maiya from seven years ago, who could at best just sort of stare and comfort awkwardly when Shirou was sad and needed cheering up, and seemed to treat such things as 'fun' like foreign languages. Now she was a protective mama-bear protecting her cub from any potential threat.

'Shouldn't mention that to her face though,' he quickly thought. 'She'd probably shoot me... or worse, prevent me from eating tonight's dinner!'

...

"And this is my workshop!"

Lambda just stared at the interior of the shed, taking note of the dust piled up everywhere and the junk scattered every which way, with a bigger pile near what appeared to be a desk of sorts. Upon it rested what appeared to be an old microwave taken apart.

"I would recommend a cleaning spree," were her only words at the spectacle. "A broom and a dust pan would work well. Perhaps a mop and bucket for a more thorough process."

Shirou rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, but that's what happens when you're gone for a few weeks." He then pointed towards the appliance on the desk. "I was actually working on fixing that before we left. I can probably finish that tonight actually."

Lambda just continued to look around. "This is where you practice Magecraft?"

Shirou nodded. "It's the easiest and best place to do so. The rest of the house is too open for an effective workshop, so I do it all here." He coughed briefly as he inhaled a cloud of dust upon entering. "Still, I guess some cleaning wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"...Do you require assistance?"

Shirou waved her off, already moving for the broom in the corner. "Nah, I've got this."

To his surprise, it was Lambda's hand that grabbed it first. He looked at her for a moment, though he was simply greeted by her pair of shades. "I insist," she persisted. "Mr. Silverstein asked me to help you and the residents if needed, so I shall."

He thought about arguing for a moment, then thought back to every argument he had ever had with a girl, and how they all (well, almost all) ended.

"Alright," he acquiesced as he grabbed another broom. "You can help."

The two passed the time in relative silence, only the scraping of brooms on the stone breaking it. Finally, Shirou looked towards Lambda.

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Really?" Lambda didn't look at him when she said that, but the tone she used seemed to indicate that she was listening.

"Do you... remember anything? About your old life?" Shirou asked her, then quickly added. "I mean, I know Ms. Ciel told me you had amnesia, but I was just wondering if you..."

"No," Lambda replied simply. "It would appear that something interfered with my awakening process, thus forcing me to purge my memories in order to safely recover. I don't have any memory of anything, save my name, abilities and how to react in certain situations."

"...Oh," Shirou finally said, then mentally cursed himself for such an answer. "I-I mean, sorry for bringing it up..."

"It's fine," Lambda answered calmly, though the way her grip seemed to tighten around her broom made him inch away a little bit. "I have no reason to try and pursue what would most likely be a hopeless endeavor. Whoever I was in the past is not as important as who I am now; there's no real need for me to try and learn more."

"You don't care if someone might be looking for you?" Shirou asked, surprised by her response. At least with him, he had no need to try since everything that had made him _him _before the Great Fire, including family and friends, was gone. Trying to dredge up memories of those times would only bring more pain. But if she still had people searching for her...

"Impossible," came her straight-forward answer. "When Mr. Silverstein and Dr. Ciel found me, I was essentially clinically dead for an unspecified amount of time, barely revived through their efforts and even then should have remained in a coma for an unspecified amount of time. The fact I awoke but the next morning is tantamount to a miracle." She finally looked towards Shirou, her eyes still hid by her glasses. "By that logic, anyone that knows me would no doubt think me dead by this point, and therefore, no one would be searching for me, and even then only for a proper burial."

Shirou wanted to say something, but was stopped by her tone. It seemed almost... regretful?

"I am dead to anyone who knew me in my former life, and perhaps that is for the better," Lambda finished, turning back around to sweep some more. "Either way, I have no reason to remember my former life, for it is dead to me."

"...I'm sorry."

Lambda flinched when she suddenly felt something wrap around her shoulders, not uncomfortably, but still firmly. Turning her head, she was greeted to the sight of Shirou staring into her face, his eyes filled with sadness. A part of her wanted to push him away, but she was too surprised by his action to do so. "What?"

"About what I asked," Shirou replied. "I'm sorry about bringing it up to you like that."

"No, why are you hugging me?" she clarified, already getting ready to break free, slightly uncomfortable with the sudden contact. "Just because I told you about my-"

"Because I know how it feels to have everything you once knew be stripped away, without any memory or chance of getting it back," Shirou answered simply. "And I'm sorry that you had to go through with that."

She stopped her efforts to break loose before they had even begun, though it wasn't so much the words themselves that stopped her as the tone they were delivered in. They were filled with regret, empathy, and understanding, the likes of which only someone who had suffered in a similar fashion to the one being consoled could bring up, things a person who knew about what had happened to her firsthand could get across.

Lambda would be the first to admit she didn't fully understand emotions, and probably hadn't had a good grasp even with memories. However, even she could tell this wasn't something that could be falsified for someone's benefit. This was genuine feeling.

Suddenly, something occurred to Lambda: This sense of empathy and common ground. Perhaps that was why Shirou had been chosen for her to live with by Edgar. Similar experiences? Maybe he thought it would be an effective way for her to reintegrate with society if she did alongside one who more or less had?

Or maybe she was reading too deeply into all of it?

So caught up with these sudden questions, she didn't realize Shirou had removed his arms from her until he spoke again. "Um, Lambda? You okay?"

She blinked once, then twice, unnoticed by Shirou due to the sunglasses (she didn't know what had inspired her to get them, but she couldn't deny their usefulness), and then finally refocused her attention on him. He was currently staring at her uncertainly, no doubt because, from his perspective, she had just been staring at him for the past two minutes without a word, which was sort of unsettling when you couldn't see her eyes.

"I'm quite alright, Shirou," she finally settled on saying, deeming it safe enough to defuse any further conversation on this subject. "Thank you for your kind words. They were... mind-settling, to say the least."

Shirou had a look on his face that said he didn't quite buy her words, but nodded. "Well... if you ever want to talk about it more, I'll be there to listen. My dad Kiritsugu often said I was good at that."

Lambda didn't quite smile at those words: It was more like a brief twitch of the lips, but it was something. "My thanks then, but we should be finishing up here."

She then swept her broom suddenly as if to punctuate that statement, causing a cloud of dust to stir up and hit Shirou in the face, to which he responded with another coughing fit.

"_*cough!*_ Yeah, y-_*cough!*_you're right," he gasped out. "Still _*hack!*_ need to fin-_*hack!*_finish that _*wheeze!*_ tour. _*gack!*_"

That time, a small smirk was present on her face.

'Things promise to be interesting, at the very least...' she thought, then something he said earlier struck her.

_"My dad Kiritsugu said I was good at that."_

Suddenly, she clutched her head with her hand. 'Kiritsugu...' she thought before something strange happened.

Suddenly, she felt like she wasn't in the shed, but rather in some sort of black void. Before she could wonder anything though, she suddenly heard voices.

_"Alright Kerry!" came a girl's voice. "Today's the day of our first mission!"_

_"I wish you didn't call me that," came a boy's voice, slightly older but seemingly a teen's. "It's Kiritsugu, remember? And are you always this excited?"_

_"...Sheesh, I was just trying to lighten the mood," the girl grumbled. "You're just like this one girl I knew, Homura. It's almost scary how similar you two are, actually. You both use firearms and seem to move unbelievably fast."_

_"I suppose I should feel honored," came the sarcastic reply. "but from the way you said her name, I'm gonna guess you two didn't get along, huh ******?"__  
_

"Uh, Lambda? You alright?"

Lambda blinked as she came back to the real world, once again looking at a concerned Shirou. She slowly lowered her hand.

"I... I'm fine," she finally said, then gestured out of the building, "Shall we be going?"

On the inside though, she was wondering that was about.

'Was that... a memory? But... why did feel like they were and yet weren't talking about me?'

...

"And this is the dojo," Shirou finished with a brief sweep of his arm. "One of the most used places of the household, if I do say so myself."

Lambda allowed her gaze to spread over the rather bare room, stopping for a moment upon the rack of shinai in the corner. Strangely curious (and eager to get her thoughts off what had happened in the shed), she found her body suddenly in front of the rack, briefly grazing the hilt of one of the swords with her hand.

Shirou actually grinned behind her. "I see you've noticed those."

Lambda looked behind her. "May I?"

He nodded, and she allowed herself to fully grasp one of the shinai, taking a moment to adjust her grip on the plastic handle before giving it a few slow experimental swings, slowly increasing her speed as she got used to it. She frowned slightly at the sword regardless though.

It was strange: Despite having never held one of these in her life up to this point, as her preferred weapons weren't exactly equipped with handgrips, she still had a sense of deja vu upon holding it, as if she had used a sword at least somewhat similar to this at one point.

But that was impossible... right?

She was snapped out of her reverie (seriously, she had to stop doing that) when she heard the sound of another wooden blade being removed from the rack. Turning her head, she saw Shirou with his own blade walking towards the other end of the room.

"Used one of these before?" he asked her.

"...I'm not sure," she answered. "A part of me feels like I've used something similar in battle before, but I have no memory of it. And not just because I have amnesia: As in I feel I've never done so."

Shirou stopped, then grinned slightly. "Well then..." he stated as he assumed a ready stance, sword out in front of him with both hands on the handle and feet spread comfortably. "want to test it out? See if you're any good?"

Lambda stared at him for a second, weighing her options. The idea wasn't that bad, all things considered, and it might very well-

_An image of him crossing blades in front of her neck came back to the fore of her mind, his eyes filled with sheer determination and will to beat her._

"...No thank you, Shirou," she replied quickly. "Perhaps another time." 'When I'm certain I can actually use it.'

Shirou frowned. "Oh, okay." He then placed the shinai back on the rack, Lambda following his example. "Another time then."

There was something strangely funny about staring at Shirou's disappointed face that made her want to laugh, but she held it in, instead opting to try and cheer him up. "Do not worry, Shirou. You'll have your chance to fight soon enough. You are, after all, the best swordsman here."

Shirou, to her surprise, chuckled nervously. "Actually, that's not true," he admitted while scratching his head. "There's one person in this household that I've yet to beat, even with all my skill."

"Is it Mr. Evans or Mrs. Albarn?" she asked, remembering that both of them used blades in combat from what she had been told. "Or perhaps Ms. Hisau?"

Shirou chuckled again, remembering this was a common mistake people unfamiliar with the Emiya household made. "Actually, it's-"

"SHIROU! NOEL!" came a thunderous roar, not unlike a tiger, from the main building. "IT'S TIME TO EAT! AND YOU'RE COOKING SHIROU-CHAN!"

Lambda was silent for a moment as Shirou rubbed his head some more. "...It's her, isn't it?" she deadpanned.

"Yeah."

"..."

"...We should go."

"Yes, we should."

_**Some Time Later**_

Everyone in the household with the exception of Shirou sat on the ground crosslegged and bare footed around the table, each with their own set of plates, bowls, glasses, and utensils to serve them. On one side, Maka and Soul, who were no longer wearing their jackets, sat side-by-side directly with Lambda directly across from the former. On the right end of the table, Maiya sat patiently, while Taiga sat in in a similar fashion on the left end. Directly to the right of Lambda and right across from Soul laid the empty seat of the missing Shirou.

As for the location of said missing person, one need only turn their attention towards the kitchen, from which could be heard the sizzling of food and the faint clink of dishes as it was piled onto individual serving plates.

Lambda had to resist the urge to fidget nervously. While normally such an instinct would be easily ignored, it was especially evident with the lack of conversation among the seated, who seemed content to wait in silence (or in Taiga case, faintly whimper at the smell of the waiting food). She was even restless due to the removal of her jacket, beret, and sunglasses, as she felt somewhat naked without them but also didn't feel like wearing what would normally constitute as outdoor clothing all the time.

Finally, she just decided to say something, if only to settle her own mind.

"If I may ask, shouldn't one of us go and help Shirou prepare?" she said aloud. "Surely feeding all of us would require quite a load of work for just one person."

Maiya, currently dressed in sweatpants and a grey shirt, glanced towards her. "Normally yes, we would. However, Shirou has a sort of... tradition that he likes to follow whenever he gets back from out-of-country trips."

"Really?"

Maiya sipped some water. "He takes it upon himself to cook and serve the entire evening meal by himself, likely as a way to ensure he has not lost his touch at cooking. It's one of his major points of pride, and he gets rather... stubborn and irritable when someone interferes."

Soul suddenly had a coughing fit, which sounded vaguely like "fork butt stabber", before being stopped by Maka's stern gaze. Ignoring it, Lambda then turned her gaze towards Taiga, who was still staring at the kitchen door and waiting for the food, intending to ask about Shirou's claim that she was the better swordsman of the two.

However, that wasn't the question that came out.

"Fujimura-san, are you... drooling?"

Taiga blinked once, twice, then shook her head, rubbing her face as she turned towards Lambda. "W-What!? Of course not! What would make you say that, Noel-chan?"

The blonde's eyes drifted down to the back of Taiga's right hand to see a wet patch, but decided not to comment. 'This girl is really Shirou Emiya's superior?'

Before any more words could be spoken, the kitchen door opened to reveal the man of honor himself, somehow balancing four plates piled high with rice, meat, fish, and salad; three bowls of soup and tempura; and two dishes containing some sort of sauces; all upon his hands, arms, and even his head. Maiya and Maka quickly moved to grab some of the dishes before he could drop them, and all of it was carefully placed on the table without so much as a single spill.

Lambda couldn't help but stare. She had never seen anything this before. Each dish had what could be considered food in a five-star restaurant, gleaming with the sauces and spices used in their creation. It was like looking at one of those famous portraits of kingly banquets, each color brilliant and alive in its own way.

And the smell (good God the smell!), it was practically divine, all of the freshly cooked foods' steam mixing together like an orgy of pleasure that threatened to overload her very senses. It was not just food... it was The Food.

Lambda then shook her head, resisting the urge to slap herself. 'Snap out of it!' she snapped to herself, 'Don't let yourself be hypnotized by The Food's allure... darn it.'

She quickly checked to see that, luckily, she hadn't started drooling. The same could not be said for Taiga, who was now freely doing so as if she was in a food coma, while Soul seemed to be trying to and failing if the way he rubbed his face was any indication, and Maka was apparently keeping herself occupied by helping set down the food safely. Maiya's face had yet to change, and Shirou himself was simply beaming at everyone's reactions, suggesting this was standard for these particular meals.

Finally, the last dish was set down. Shirou took his place next to Lambda, and then they all prepared to eat.

"Thank you, Shirou-chan!" Taiga yelled as she went at the food like the tiger she was, only to be stopped by the iron rod that was Maiya's own utensil.

"Where are your manners, Taiga?" she asked her. "It's only right that the first one to choose should be the guest who will be staying with us in the times to come. This is her first meal here after all."

Taiga seemed to wilt under her gaze. "Yes Ma'am."

Realizing that was her signal, Lambda grabbed some rice, a few tempura, some meat, a piece of fish, a bit of salad, and some soup. She ignored the almost pathetic whimpering that Taiga made every time she grabbed something else, tuning it out until her plate was filled.

Taking a piece of meat, she slowly lifted it up, pausing for a moment to savour the sight, and then placed it into her mouth, slowly chewing it up.

It was a testament to her self-control she didn't just faint at the taste.

Her taste buds, even if she did not, remembered much about the things she had eaten before this point. And while some of it was horrible, some edible, some good, and even some amazing, all of it paled before this feeling like a sand castle before a tsunami. They were aflame with pleasure and delight, a feeling that spread throughout her entire body like wildfire. She was in her own personal nirvana, and it was glorious.

"Um, Noel?"

She was brought back to reality by Shirou's concerned voice. Turning her head, she saw that he had yet to touch his own plate, simply staring at her with some slight concern, as was everyone else, (though Taiga's was somewhat ruined by the tempura end sticking out of her mouth).

"Yes?" was all she was able to safely get out. Her mind just sort of drew a blank.

"You alright?"

"Of course." Two words, she was making progress, and it was coming back faster. "I was simply... savouring the taste."

"Oh." His face shifted from concerned to curious. "Did you like it?"

"...I quite love it, actually."

And with that, Lambda dug into her meal with barely restrained relish. The Food would not deny her.

Soul couldn't help but internally sigh. 'Another victim of Shirou's cooking. Nothing will ever taste the same to her again.'

He then lifted his own piece of fish and bit into it, savouring the taste. 'Then again, it's not the worst fate for someone to suffer.'

* * *

**Sorry, I couldn't resist putting that ending part in with the cooking. Inspired by an omake I saw in the fic called "Nerve Damage", where Shirou summons four Sabers and 28 Servants are summoned in total for a massive battle royale to the death in the Fifth War.  
**

**So, what will happen next? I guess you'll just have to read on!**

**Remember, keep reviewing, faving, and following!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_I hate the Mage's Association._

_Now when I say that, don't go thinking I don't like Mages themselves. Quite the contrary actually, I made quite a few friends over the years who were Mages. I've even maintained at least courteous relations with Mages in the service of the Association, particularly among Enforcers and even a few professors, such as most recently Lord El-Melloi II._

_No, my hatred for the Association lies in the fact that it is filled with, with exceptions like El-Melloi II, bigots that are too concerned with their own reputations, squandered away in their workshops and refusing to share potentially world-changing discoveries with each other out of pride and fear. They established and enforce laws that forbid the criminal use of magecraft in order to promote the development, or perhaps regression, of magecraft. The Association is mainly concerned with the preservation and concealment of Magecraft in criminal aspects. They do not care about hideous crimes committed by magi so long as they are not a threat that might reveal the existence of Thaumaturgy to the common public. Hypocrisy if I ever heard it._

_True, a bitter pill perhaps for the sake of humanity they may be, but I cannot condone it. Greedy, selfish bastards out for their own gains, and even among the selfless ones there are too many who take things too far in my opinion. Discrimination against Asians, prevalent even today, is rather rampant among the Clock Tower, and even against their own Enforcers. That's not even going into their very large... interest in both me and my companions; I have no doubt some of them dream of the day they can strap us to an operating table to see what makes us tick..._

_However, the greatest reason I hate the Association isn't even for reasons like that. It's actually rather petty, in comparison._

_The Barthomeloi family, one of the most noted lines of magi within the Association and perhaps the most powerful of all, essentially the true power in the Association and perfectionistic and aristocratic to the core, and I do not get along __**at all**__._

_I and the Barthomeloi seem to have a mutual loathing of each other. I was never a tolerator of the aristocracy of my world, bad experiences and all that, and they never liked me for my barely-disguised rudeness towards them and their actions. I am perhaps the one being any member of their family would gladly stop a hunt for Dead Apostles, something which is such an obsession among the family that they drop almost every other obligation for an excuse to go do so, if it meant just getting a chance to spit in my face and get away with it. Likewise, I have absolutely no problem telling them where they can shove their excuses and sticks up so far it would be easier to get it all out the other way._

_You no doubt wonder why I bothered saying all of this._

_It's because it's best you get some background info (the "why", if you will) before I give you a brief summary about the time I threw the then-current head of the Barthomeloi and vice-director of the Association, Barthomeloi Arthur, out of his office through the window, thereby kick-starting the relationship of "Can't-kill-you-still-need-you" attitude that defines OSG and the Association's relations at our_ best _and outright "openly-hostile-but-unable-to-go-to-war-because-we'd-reveal-Thaumaturgy-to-the-world-and-the-Church-would-kick-the-asses-of-whoever's-still-alive-when-it's-all-over" at worst._

_My day had been going rather well up to that point. After my companions and I had paid for our drinks, Zeltrech took us directly to Clock Tower, stating that if we were going to start up the organization that he had planned, it would be prudent to meet the leaders of the Association and the Church first, if only to get an idea of what I would be up against in the coming decades._

_Looking back, I think it was just Zeltrech screwing with us again to get some entertainment factor. I've heard of and seen him do worse when he's bored._

_Well, when we got there, the first thing we thought was simple._

_'A __museum.'_

_Yes, the British Museum was and still is the headquarters and main branch of the Association, a venerable cover against any normal people. Hiding in plain sight, as it were, like how no one would suspect mild-mannered, somewhat clumsy, glasses-wearing, geeky Clark Kent to be the amazing and invincible Superman... or maybe that's the wrong analogy?_

_Anyways, after Zeltrech got us inside, we just sort of toured everywhere. No one tried to ask us questions unless we directly spoke to them, and everyone was more or less on their best behavior. We even watched several classes for a short time._

_Of course, it didn't take a genius to figure out that the only reason that happened was because Zeltrech was there. Not just in the way people would whitten whenever they saw he was with us, cast nervous glances, or even excuse themselves as quickly as possible. No, we could also tell whenever we heard whisperings by those who thought they were being quiet, the glares we occasionally got, and all those things that make the new kid feel at home in the new school._

_Lilynette summed it up rather eloquently._

_"This place blows."_

_Had to agree with her, and I wanted to get out just as quickly, but Zeltrech was taking his sweet time getting us to the higher-ups. I know he was now because the Association practically lives in an almost comical sense of fear of them, even the most powerful families taking part in that as well. He could have asked to see the head-honcho and we would have been over and done with it all within the time it takes to take a decent bathroom break._

_I met some members of other Magi Bloodlines in the meantime: The Aozakis (an interesting family, to say the least), Archibalds (thought the heir was a stuck-up little prick), the Edelfelts (the twin heirs were tolerable, though the younger one had a decent sense of humor while the older was as dull as a hammer), the Sophia-Ris (...was okay, I suppose), and finally the Zepters (going down a very dark path and would eventually be ended by one of my own future operatives along with his teacher but twenty-five or so years ago as of this writing)._

_However, I was fast running out of patience._

_"Are we gonna see the man-in-charge anytime soon?" I whispered to him after half-listening to a lecture on the necessity of bloodlines and generations in order for Magi to grow and improve their family's Magecraft, with several of the students close to us occasionally looking back towards us with curiosity and some level of fear._

_I was just leaning on the wall to avoid falling over in sheer boredom and successfully disrupting the class, though that was becoming an increasing harder thing to resist doing just to break the monotony. "I don't even care about this sort of stuff anyways."_

_He looked at me in surprise. "Really? Your friend Starrk seems rather interested."_

_I looked over to my companion, leaning on the wall right next to me one person over, seemingly staring at the lecturer, a tall blond-haired man wearing a blue suit, with keen interest. It surprised me; I didn't think Starrk was the sort of guy to like stuff like this._

_"He's not."_

_I looked down at Lilynette, who was the person right next to me. She had a completely bored expression on her face, bag containing her helmet slung over her shoulder and looking like she was about to throw it at the lecturer just to make him shut up._

_"He's not listening," she whispered softly. "He's just sleeping with his eyes open."_

_She lightly elbowed Starrk's side to prove her point. Sure enough, he shifted slightly and snorted before settling back against the wall. This time, I could hear the shallow snoring, even as he seemingly stared at the lecturer._

_"That's a useful skill," Zeltrech quipped._

_"Can we please just go and see the head-guy now?" I asked him again. "Let's just get this over with."_

_I was expecting him to drag ass again and just screw around some more, but all he did was just snap his fingers and we were suddenly standing in front of a pair of double wooden doors. Lilynette and myself barely avoided falling to the ground, since we were still positioned as if we were against a wall, but we recovered in time._

_Starrk, being asleep, had no such luck. He didn't realize we were somewhere else until he suddenly collapsed to the ground in a heap with a squawk of surprise._

_"Wah!" he blurted out upon sitting up straight. "What's going on? Did I get hit again?"_

_"Nope, we're just about to meet the vice-director!" Zeltrech said cheerfully as he moved to the side and made a dramatic gesture towards the doors. "Your journey is about at an end."_

_"...You could have done that earlier, you know." I deadpanned._

_"Yup."_

_"Yet you had us wander around the place."_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"In other words, you were screwing with us the whole time."_

_"Correct."_

_There was a brief silence, and once again, Lilynette broke it most eloquently._

_"You're an asshole, you know that?"_

_"All the time!" Zeltrech replied breezily. "Now you better get going."_

_(Note, quite a few of the more modern swearwords I learned in my travels came from being around Lilynette and Starrk, though mostly the former, due to both of them being from world that was further along in time than my own or this one was. I also assumed that was how Zeltrech seemed to understand words that wouldn't become truly commonplace for maybe another fifty years.)_

_Slowly, we opened the doors, myself in the lead, and took in the sights of the room. It was surprisingly lacking in terms of decorations, having a sort of spartan feel to it, though evidence of the upper-class were evident in the silken drapes over the large window in the back, the expensive-looking Chinese vases here and there, and the ordinate saber that was within arms-reach of the wooden desk near the back of the room in front of the aforementioned large window._

_And speak of the devil, the very man I came to speak with was sitting in that very same desk looking at me like I had just stolen his kill a hunting expedition (and again, when I say Barthomeloi take hunting Dead Apostles seriously, they consider it a personal insult if you steal a kill they were aiming for, like "you-went-up-and-slapped-their-mother-in-the-face" insulting), Barthomeloi Arthur._

_He was a rather imposing man: Six feet of lean and imposing muscle that would make him look like a slightly lankier version of Arnold Schwarzenegger from the neck down, Caucasian, mid-length light brown hair and a piercing brown eye (because one was pure white yet still seemed to be working, probably an artificial magic eye). He was handsome in that aristocratic way that makes women swoon, and even the artificial eye plus the scar that ran over it didn't detract from that image in the slightest._

_He also had an air of nobility about him, though it wasn't the kind that snobbish fools project: This was pure confidence and conviction that he was better than you and could take you down faster than you could blink with one hand. And from the way he seemed to ooze it, the scar on his face, and the fact he was in the second-most powerful position (according to Zeltrech, the Director had been the same person since the very founding of the Mage's Association, for over 1,700 years as of that point and still is. I don't know why I didn't go to him/her at the time, but Zeltrech told me later "it's better for your mental health to not know right now". And after learning just_ what _the Director is, I can't blame him._)_ of a group of backstabbing people who wouldn't hesitate to pounce on any signs of weakness; I have to say he had earned that right, despite my dislike for him._

_"Well," he greeted us in a strong voice. "I see that Zeltrech has finally deigned to grace me with your presence."_

_Another point to him: He seemed to be one of the few Mages I've ever meet who didn't seem to involuntarily shiver whenever Zeltrech's name was brought up or if he was even in the same room with the Wizard Marshal. If anything, he seemed more annoyed than anything else of Zeltrech. I had to respect that._

_"I had heard he had someone of importance that needed to see me," he continued, his voice just barely dripping with annoyance. "However, I will be the judge of that score. What is your name?"_

_"My name is Edgar Silverstein," I answered with a respectful tone, which seemed to brighten his mood slightly. By this point, I had finally decided that I would need a more proper name for this world, something that still resonated with who I was yet was different, a way of starting fresh if you will. I chose the name of my father, Edgar, who died for marrying the woman he loved as my first name, and chose the name Silverstein at total random._

_I then turned my hand towards my companions. "And these are-"_

_"I have no need to know their names," he interrupted me, the sheer abruptness catching us by surprise. "I asked for yours and yours alone, since I intend to speak only with you."_

_That was my main problem with Arthur: He was, for all intents and purposes to me and my companions, a total dick._

_Now, I'm not going to go into detail as to what happened between us in that conversation. Mostly because it would likely bore you to death, and because it be summed up like this: He pisses me off, I piss him off, back-and-forth for a little bit, start shouting, insults to each other and our families and friends, swords are drawn, room gets trashed, he punches me in the face, I throw him out the window but he's able to stop himself with a pre-prepared spell (apparently because he expected to get thrown out of that window at some point in the past when they gave him this office. Clever man.), Zeltrech appears before angry Mages can arrive, Lilynette and Starrk cause some property damage when they do arrive (taking out the rest of the room and at least a few floors), and we're suddenly all back in front of that cafe we met at._

_Yeah, it wasn't a great day._

_"Well, that was fun." Zeltrech beamed as he looked back in the general direction of the Clock Tower. "You guys put on quite the show!"_

_I had to resist the urge to punch him, and I was failing miserably._

_"Well, off to the next place!"_

_"What new place?" Lilynette asked as she tried to get her bearings from the sudden teleportation, holding her head in-between her hands. "Where else do we need to go?"_

_"Don't worry, this will go over much better than this time," Zeltrech reassured her, though it somehow didn't help. "The next group is a bit more tolerable than this one, just don't harbor vampires!"_

_"Wait-"_

_Alas, when I tried to protest we were whisked off again, to meet face-to-face with the other major power in this world._

_The Holy Church._

**_Emiya Residence, Morning_**

"HAH!"

The sound of wooden blades clashing against each other rang out throughout the dojo. Within the building, Lambda watched with interest as Shirou and Taiga, both clad in practice robes, struck out against each other with their shinai. Despite this being a mere practice bout with fake weapons, she couldn't deny that both fought as if their lives depended on it.

Swing, parry, thrust, deflect, dodge. Each movement wasn't wasted, each aimed for the purpose of crippling and defeating their opponent. Neither would back down, only moving back to gain some room and analyze the situation before returning to the fray. She watched as Shirou attempted to parry a swing from Taiga, only to realize too late it was a feint and was swiftly punished with a blow to the arm. He countered with a quick jab that barely missed Taiga's side, only to bring his blade up to block another thrust from his opponent.

Lambda had seen Shirou in action during their own match, and she couldn't deny he certainly had skill with the blade. Even with the slightly different sword in his hands now, she could tell he was definitely a expert at using it.

Which made the fact that Taiga was not only winning against him, not only had she taken three hits to the body to his thirteen, but was barely breaking a sweat while Shirou was visibly doing so all the more amazing and terrifying.

"Come on, Shirou-chan! You might actually win this time!" Taiga yelled, her cursed shinai connecting Shirou's own, the force almost forcing him to him go to his knees as he struggled to get out from under it. His muscles, particularly around his bruised arms and shoulders, strained to hold off the assault of his opponent, but were rapidly failing.

With a grunt of effort, Shirou managed to force Taiga's shinai off, swinging directly for her head to end the fight. Taiga almost nonchalantly leaned her head to the side with her eyes closed and a smile, allowing the bamboo blade to pass over her hair, then swung her own shinai again, directly for Shirou's own head.

Unlike her, he didn't have time to get out of the way.

Shirou collapsed to the ground in a heap, hand to his head in pain. Unfortunately, his attempts at an evasive maneuver in his vulnerable position proved too slow to prevent the victorious tiger from using her cursed shinai to extract its punishment on his body.

Lambda's eye twitched as Taiga took on what she assumed was some sort of 'victory pose': Pointing two fingers to the sky as she rested the shinai on her shoulder while sporting a full-blown grin.

"Jeez, Fuji-nee," Shirou wheezed as he got to his feet, using his own blade as a sort of crutch. "Won't even hold back for the sake of my reputation with a new member of the household?"

"Sorry Shirou-chan, but you've been getting so good recently that I have to set up my game," his occasional sparring partner answered. "Can't be losing my position of the top dog just yet, especially in front of our new roommate!" Her face briefly shifted to one of nostalgia. "Oh, the good old days when I could beat you with a blindfold and one hand. Now I'm actually getting stressed out with our fights!"

She suddenly brought up her shinai to block Shirou's strike, who had been slowly inching closer to her and tightening his grip on the shinai, and then attempted to jab him in the stomach, only to be blocked by a lucky swing.

She frowned. "See, like that! I've got to keep my guard up around you all the time these days, never knowing when you'll try for a sneak attack. It's very stressful! I'll be getting wrinkles before I'm thirty at this rate!"

She then whacked him on the leg, almost causing him to fall to the ground again. "Now make me my delicious victory brunch like you promised!" she cackled as she walked out of the dojo in search of a quick bath, leaving the android alone with her companion.

"You know, I think she's right," he muttered. "I think her strikes have been harder and faster the more we spar like this."

"And to think I doubted you when you said that she was your superior," Lambda said as she walked over to him, offering a hand of assistance. "I see now that you weren't lying or exaggerating."

Shirou grabbed it, pulling himself up to his feet slowly, still leaning on his shinai. "Yeah, I think she's actually better than some of the teachers at OSG. At least their dull metal blades don't hurt as badly as her weapon."

He slowly put a hand on Lambda's shoulder to steady himself, which surprised her enough that she recoiled slightly, causing him to fall back down.

"Sorry," she apologized, quickly grabbing and pulling him back up. "You surprised me a little."

"Eh, I guess I deserved it," he muttered, this time simply using the shinai. "Still, I need to get better. I need to speed up my reaction times and all that."

"Can't help you with that," Lambda replied as she watched him limp over to where the shinai were. "My skill-set isn't exactly meant for safe usage in an enclosed place like this."

"What about just using your arm and wing-blades?" he asked as put the blade on the rack. "I can easily train with that."

Lambda cocked an eyebrow. "I don't think your foster-mother would appreciate me using sharp weapons on you."

"I've got that covered," he replied, taking his sweet time towards the exit, trying to avoid upsetting his aching body anymore than he already had. "Meet me back here in the evening."

"And you're..."

"Gonna make that lunch, then practice some Magecraft until then," he answered with a smile. 'And find some ice packs while I'm at it. Maybe take a nap too...'

"So what should I do until then?"

Shirou stopped near the exit, his mind drawing a blank as to what to say. That was a good question: What would she do?

In the three days that Shirou had had to associate with Lambda at OSG, they had mostly spent it talking about different things. In fact, she had actually spent the majority of it following him around like, as Shinji put it on the last day before leaving, his red-eyed stalker. When she wasn't following him around and watching him do his daily things, she was usually reading some sort of book or watching wildlife with rapt interest, occasionally interacting with it.

That led to quite a scare when they found her handling a rattlesnake and treating it like some sort of pet, with it coiled around her arm and seemingly snoozing. The face she made when she had to let it go had been like a kid's whose puppy had been punted like a football...

Lambda put her hand on his injured shoulder, causing him to wince slightly and break off his tangent. However, the pain was suddenly replaced by a sense of... calmness. Opening his eyes, he felt them widen even further at the sight before him.

Underneath his feet, a magic circle seemingly constructed with musical notes had appeared, glowing with a blue light and playing a slow, soft melody. At the same time, he felt his body get stronger, his body being rejuvenated by whatever was happening.

"Lambda, you..." he muttered before looking up at the blonde, though to his surprise she was looking at the circle with just as much, if not more, shock than him. Her hand snapped back, and the circle vanished. Suddenly, he was once again aware of the pain, though less obvious this time.

"I-I don't know what just..." Lambda trailed off, gesturing towards the circle's location before shaking her head.

The sound of a door opening distracted Shirou from his next question. Shaking his head, he looked towards it to see Maka standing there seemingly dressed for work: A white blouse with a yellow sweater vest, a green striped tie, white pants and black boots with white buckles. Upon her face was a pair of black-rimmed reading glasses, though Shirou honestly didn't know if she ever actually needed them or if she just wore them because she thought they looked good.

She was staring at them both with a curious look, though with the angle of sunlight coming through weirdly, it reflected off her glasses to give her an intimidating glare. Shirou found himself resisting the urge to look away in fear, but Maka's voice managed to calm him down.

"Are you alright, Shirou?" she asked. "I heard you had a spar with Taiga from the mouth of the tiger herself on my way out. Just came to see if she broke anything on you."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

Shirou ignored the indignant call from inside the main house, along with the yell of 'Shut up!' from Soul, instead just smiling at her. "Nothing to worry about," he reassured her quickly, still surprised by the magic circle. "She can't hurt me."

"Is that why you collapsed twice when she left and were moving so slowly?"

"Thank you, Lambda," he said between clenched teeth, then sighed when he heard Maka's brief giggle. "So, I guess you're heading to work?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Should be back this evening."

Suddenly, an idea struck Shirou. "Hey Maka, would you mind taking Lambda with you?"

Maka cocked an eyebrow, somehow still not losing the scary-shiny glasses despite her head shifting position. "Oh?"

"I've got some things to do today, and they're gonna take up my time until this evening when I'm gonna train with her some. Would you mind letting her go with you to pass the time and help out?"

Actually, he was curious about that whole magic circle thing, but decided this wasn't the time to pursue that line. From her reaction, Lambda didn't seem to know anymore than him.

Maka's face shifted to a contemplative look, then she glanced over at Lambda. "You have any problem with this Lambda?"

"No," came the answer, her face betraying none of the confusion from earlier. "Though it would be wise if you start referring to me by the name of 'Noel' in public."

Maka smiled slightly, her glasses finally becoming see-through again to show her green eyes. "Well, if you're ready to go right now, then come on. I was just about to leave anyways."

Lambda nodded as she walked towards them, passing by Maka to the outside. Maka turned back towards Shirou, eyebrows knitted together as she stared at him.

"What?"

She brought up a hand to the right side of her head, rubbing it. "You have an enormous bruise forming on the side of your head right here. Might want to get that checked out."

Shirou brought up his own hand to that spot, wincing as he felt the bluish lump. "Yeah, I'll get on that."

Maka grinned before ruffling his hair in a sisterly way. "See you later then, Shirou."

Shirou smiled back. "Yeah, you too."

He watched as she walked back over to where Lambda was waiting, then continued to stare as they left, only looking away once he could no longer see them.

"Alright," he said out loud to himself. "First things first, get some bandages. Then-"

"SHIROU! I DON'T SMELL COOKING!"

He sighed. "I've got to stop promising to cook for her every time we have a match."

_**Fuyuki Public Library**_

Lambda stood in front of a pile of recently returned books, eyeing each of them with a stoic expression. When they had arrived at the library, Maka put her to work just doing some standard assistant work: Putting books up, assisting others if they needed it, running quick errands if she herself couldn't do it, standard stuff.

Lambda had accepted this job without complaint. In fact, on the way here, Maka had originally thought about just letting her just wander around the library reading, but Lambda had insisted that she be given some task to pass the time. She didn't feel like being some sort of freeloader, even though that technically wasn't possible in a place like a library, and so had not stopped asking Maka for something to do until she finally gave up and told her what she could do.

Which lead to her current assignment: Putting up books.

"Time to start working," she said to no one in particular.

Lambda first began the process by organizing them alphabetically by author name, arranging them until she was satisfied with her new piles. Then she gathered piles A-B and put them on a trolley, heading towards that section of the library.

It was boring and time-consuming work: Picking up books, climbing ladders, putting them in their proper places, climbing down, going back, putting more books on the trolley, rinse and repeat. In fact, even she soon found herself staring at the most recent pile of T-U with some level of annoyance. She looked back at the clock. Apparently, she had been at this for the past hour and a half.

Still, it had given her time to wonder about what she had just done in the dojo. How on Earth had she cast that circle? She didn't know any healing magic, yet why had it felt so familiar? As a matter of fact, why did that melody briefly give her a sense of nostalgia?

Those thoughts had been eating at her the entire time, and she was no closer to getting anywhere save a migraine.

'...Maybe just a little break wouldn't hurt,' she thought to herself, pushing aside the pile to wander back near the front, then stopping when one book caught her eye. Going back, she plucked it out, briefly scanning the title.

"Japanese Mythology: A Collection of Deities, Heroes, Monsters, and Their Individual Tales," she said aloud. Upon the cover, a massive green and black eight-headed serpent was pictured ominously fighting some sort of god with a sword and holding a... drinking gourd?

For some reason she couldn't quite explain though, her attention was especially riveted on the snake, something uncomfortable bubbling up as she gazed longer and longer upon it. Slowly, in her mind's eye, the green was disappearing to be replaced by red, and the snake itself was becoming less a solid being of living matter and more like a demon of dark energy of some sort...

She took a deep breath, tearing her eyes away from the book as she tried to calm down. Lifting one of her hands to her forehead, it came back slick with sweat. Shaking her head and stabilizing her breathing, she looked back at the book, noting with some relief that the image she had begun to see was no longer in sight.

'What was that about?' she wondered to herself as she prepared to put the book back, then stopped again, her hands still gripping it. She gave it another cautious look, but again, nothing changed.

She took another deep breath. "Calm down," she told herself. "It's nothing but a book. A book can't hurt you."

This time, she tucked the encyclopedia under her arm as she walked over to a chair and table near the front of the library, sitting down and opening up to a random page.

"Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun and ruler of the universe," she muttered to herself. "Sister of Susanoo, god of storms and the sea, and Tsukuyomi, god of the moon and ruler of night."

Again, something ate at her as she read. For a moment, she saw not the image of a beautiful woman clad in a kimono of red, white, and gold as the book offered, but rather something of definitely non-human origins, made of metal and an appearance more befitting that of some sort of mechanical angel or vaguely human-shaped satellite of similar coloration.

Suddenly, a memory struck her, similar to the one she had in Shirou's shed: No images and the words not her own, but still on some level recognizable as someone she knew... and hated.

_"AHAHAHAHAHA! Now I've got the True Successor of the Azure! Try to stop me now Master Unit... AMATERASU!"_

She shook her head to clear the anger that had begun to bubble up upon hearing that voice, more trying to figure the significance of why the name had triggered such a memory than her feelings.

'Was he talking about the goddess herself... or someone else?'

Deciding to ignore it, or as well as she could ignore such a memory, she went back to skimming, only stopping on pages that interested her. She didn't feel anymore flashes, and in fact had actually begun to relax again, stopping more often as curiosity got the better of her.

"Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi," she read to herself. "The sword that the god Susanoo claimed from slaying the great serpent Yamato-no-Orochi, finding it within the beast's fourth tail. Originally called the Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, he gave it to his sister Amaterasu to settle an old grievance they had..."

Then came the next flash. Actually, it would be more accurate to call it a conversation, as there were two different speakers this time. However, it was harder to hear and there was a weird, almost echoing quality, as if she was listening through some sort of liquid.

_"Lambda-11, the prototype Murakumo unit you found abandoned in a lab in Ibukido," came a female voice. Unlike the previous one, she didn't feel hatred at the sound. Rather, it was more comforting... almost like a very strict teacher or mother of sorts. "I patched her up as best as I could, though she could still use testing."_

_"Kokonoe, are you sure this is wise?" came a deeper male voice. "If the superior Thirteenth Prime Field Device itself at full strength was unable to defeat Ragna the Bloodedge, what makes you think that she'll be able to defeat Hazama in such a state or without even a functional Nox Nyctores?"_

_"Do you think I'm an idiot, Tager?" Kokonoe snapped. "Like this, she would probably lose to that Noel Vermillion, much less Terumi. However, I've got something even better than a Nox for her to even the odds."_

_"Better?"_

_"...Well, I suppose replacement would be more accurate. You'll just have to wait and see..."_

Another flash followed in short order. Once again, it was that voice she hated, which she decided to call 'Terumi' for now.

_"Now, Murakumo, it's time to awaken! This world is nothing but lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, LIES! But don't worry. I'll show you... I'll show you the truth... the truth called DESPAIR!" His words were accompanied by what sounded like something breaking open, like some sort of shell. "In the name of Susano'o, I command you! Awaken Murakumo!"_

_A pause, as if he realized there was something wrong with what he said. "No, not Murakumo, Kusanagi! The sword, the godslayer! Your blade will cut away the lies that cover this world!"_

The flash ended, leaving her with more questions than answers.

Who was this 'Terumi' that ignited such a sense of hatred within her? What was her connection to that 'Noel Vermillion' that was mentioned, or was it simple coincidence that they shared a name? Who was that 'Kokonoe' and 'Tager' who apparently knew about her, and what were they talking about when they said she was a 'Murakumo prototype' found in a lab?

And on an unrelated note, why did the brief mention of the name 'Ragna the Bloodedge' get her so worked up in a completely unrelated way to Terumi?

She felt irritation bubble up inside her, annoyance at these flashes of memory striking away at her, taunting her with a past she had decided to not pursue. For a moment, the desire to throw the book in her hands away and go back to work came to her, and she seriously considered following through on it for a moment.

However, something happened that prevented her from doing so.

"Excuse ma'am, but are you alright?"

Her train of thought shattered at the sudden interruption, Lambda looked up to see a teenage girl with purple hair and eyes looking at her with some degree of curiosity and worry. Lambda realized she must have let her anger show on her face and quickly recomposed herself, grateful for the sunglasses over her eyes, and put on a small smile, remembering something that Maka had told her about how such things put people at ease during interaction.

"Forgive me, I'm quite alright Miss...?"

The girl's eyes widened at the question, to which she bowed her head in greeting. "My name is Tohsaka Sakura. Forgive me for interrupting you, ma'am."

"It is quite alright," Lambda replied, the name briefly sparking something in her memory as she bowed her own head in greeting. "My name is Noel Valenzuela. A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Tohsaka. Is there anything you wanted?"

She shook her head. "You just seemed a little stressed, and I wanted to see if you were alright."

Lambda nodded. "Well... again, thank you for your concern, but I'm fine now." Suddenly, her name sparked something that Shirou told her about when they were still at OSG. "Actually..."

Sakura blinked. "Yes?"

"Are you familiar with one Emiya Shirou?" she asked, just wanting to confirm her suspicions. While it was highly unlikely that there just so happened to be another Tohsaka Sakura living in Fuyuki, she still wanted to be sure before pursuing any deeper lines of discussion. It would be rather embarrassing to start a conversation with someone who wasn't who she thought she was.

Sakura's face took on a cautious look. "And if I am?"

Lambda just gestured to the other side of the table, shutting the book which had been giving her a migraine in the process. "Then I will have no problem having a conversation with a friend of someone I'm currently living with."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wait, what!?" she almost yelled out, but luckily remembered that this was a library, keeping it to a very loud whisper. "Why are you living with Shirou-kun?" She tried to keep the mistrust and suspicion out of her voice out of respect, but didn't quite succeed.

Lambda grimaced. 'Probably should have worded that differently,' she thought before saying aloud, "I'm staying with him because I have nowhere to go and the man in charge of the place Shirou leaves for every summer decided that Shirou should be the one I will live with for the foreseeable future, as there's no room at the camp."

Sakura seemed to calm down at that explanation. "Oh... so you're one of Shirou-kun's campmates?"

"In a manner of speaking," she replied. "I'm actually the newest recruit to my knowledge. I'm simply glad that Shirou agreed and that I have a place to stay."

Sakura allowed herself to laugh a little. "Well, he does have a bit of a helping streak."

A brief awkward silence descended on them, mostly because neither of them knew how to properly proceed with this line of conversation, one for lack of experience with this sort of thing, and the other simply because she couldn't think of a proper way to continue. Finally, it was Sakura who broke it.

"My apologies for my earlier outburst, Noel-san," she said with a brief bow. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Lambda allowed a smile to spread across her face, less out of any joyful feeling and more to put Sakura at ease. "That conversation offer is still open. I'd like to know more about my 'landlord's' friends."

Sakura returned the smile (slowly) as she sat down. "Well.. if you insist..."

...

Maka sighed as she stamped the most recently returned book, rubbing her face briefly. Ever since her promotion to head librarian just a year ago, she had to deal with quite a bit of extra responsibilities: Making sure books were returned on time, collecting fines when they weren't, putting books up, making sure the place wasn't vandalized, reprimanding needlessly loud people and... disciplining those who didn't learn their lessons.

Actually, it was just like when she was an assistant librarian, just with longer hours and no one yelling at her if things went wrong... plus less time to relax and with blame on her head if things went wrong.

"Ms. Albarn!"

She was snapped out of her reverie by a familiar voice. Looking upwards, she found herself face-to-face with none other than Rin Tohsaka, clad in her familiar red sweater and holding a book in her hands, smiling at her.

"Oh hi, Rin," she answered with her own smile. "Nice to see you again."

"Nice to see you too, ma'am," she answered before putting the book in question in the 'Return' slot. "So you're back from your trip?"

"Yup," Maka replied, leaning down to grab and stamp it. "Just got back yesterday, actually. I need to make up for lost time, so here I am."

Rin nodded. "That's good," she said, then put her left arm on the counter, allowing Maka to see the red cloth wrapped around her hand. "So... did anything interesting happen?"

Maka raised an eyebrow. "I thought you had more tack than this, Rin," she stated. "Normally, you sort of dance around the issue of wondering what happened during our trip with an innocent comment that leads into it."

She shrugged, her public mask of perfection falling down over her face. "I'm not in the mood to go through all that trouble. Besides, I didn't know you would be back and that I would see you today, so I didn't have time to prepare myself."

"Well, you didn't miss much. Nothing really of interest happened this time, except for two things."

"Really? And those are?"

Maka chuckled slightly. "Well, how about I start with that it'll soon Mrs. Albarn or perhaps even Mrs. Evans?"

The mask didn't break, though the eyes betrayed the surprise behind it. "Wait, Mr. Soul and you are..."

Maka lifted one of her hands, revealing the ring on her finger to the pig-tailed teen. "I admit, I was surprised also, though I should have guessed from where he took me to eat that night and how much effort he put into his appearance."

Rin nodded, her face only just betraying her awkwardness at the direction this conversation took. "Well... congratulations! When's the wedding?"

"No idea yet, though it'll probably be some ways off," Maka answered, then grinned slightly. "However, even that's not as important as the other thing I need to tell you about."

Rin raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What could be more important than that?"

"How about that Shirou has a new girl roommate at his home?"

The carefully-crafted mask of part-boredom and part-aloofness shattered like glass, revealing confusion, surprise, and anger in varying degrees over her face. "Wait, what!?"

"This is a library, Rin," Maka admonished her, though she couldn't keep the smile off. "Please tone it down."

* * *

**And that's that! I know it seems sort of weird that I cut it off here, but I figured this was as good a stopping point as any. Don't worry, come next chapter we will have the rest of this library excursion and maybe even a little more fighting.**

**The end's coming soon people, but don't worry. I've got this planned.**

**Anyways, just reviewing, faving, and following!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Welcome everybody, to the next installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go!**

* * *

_I have to say, the Holy Church is actually somewhat more pleasant than the Association is. The Association won't hesitate to capture and study you in increasing painful ways to figure out how you tick and how it could potentially benefit Thaumaturgy if they think you're too dangerous. They might kill you, but only if you're really that dangerous, you struggle too much during capture, or if they think they can't get anything else out of you._

_The Church will just murder you in any number of painful ways and skip any foreplay, no if, ands, or buts about it._

_I might be exaggerating a little bit, but I am honest when I say I prefer working with the Church rather than the Association. First impressions are everything, after all, and my first impressions of the Church were much more pleasant than the Association._

_I won't go into complete detail as to what happened during my and my companions' arrival at the Church's location (at the Vatican in Rome... go figure), but it can be said it was somewhat more pleasant, but that might because Zeltrech decided to forego the distractions and cut to the meat of the matter, straight to the head of the Church itself, whose name unfortunately escapes me at the moment (And for complainers, this is my journal, I'll write what I bloody well want!)._

_That meeting was much more cordial, probably because he didn't have a 'stick-up-your-ass' attitude that Barthomeloi had and seemed rather impressed at my actions against old Arthur (I swear he was trying to hold back a laugh), and we walked away from each other not feeling like the other had just tried to stab us in the back. Starrk and Lilynette weren't there, having wandered off somewhere escorted by several other Church under the promise that they wouldn't be harmed. I almost laughed at that statement, as I could count on one hand the number of things that could threaten Starrk, especially if Lilynette was at stake. _

_However, there was one sore spot, and it had to do directly with letting those two wander._

_Don't know how it happened because the participants refuse to speak about it to this day, but just when we had come to an agreement that whatever organization I was planning to come up with with Zeltrech's help would be officially recognized by the Church as an independent group, a much better deal than I had gotten out of the Association mind you, a tremor rocked the building, coming right beneath us._

_When we raced down there, I discovered a massive cavern area (perhaps stretching all under the very city of Rome itself) underneath the main building that was apparently meant to train Executioners and store items of importance, that was currently in use._

_And who happened to be using it than Coyote Starrk and a giant demon-whale-dog-temple attacking each other?_

_No kidding, the thing had to be two hundred meters long and at least forty high on four legs, each digit ending in claws longer than half the leg it was attached to. The mouth when it roared had to be at least a fourth of its length, appearing like some sort of portal that threatened to suck everything inside of it. More than a fourth of the length was a tail that ended in three whip-like appendages. In between the two was a black, furry upper body littered with metallic growths that appeared like part the brine that grows off ships and part ancient temple ruins._

_It has many names: The King of Earth, the Black Dog of Destruction, the Bell of Ending, the Beast of God, the Whale Dog. All of these and more describe the creature that serves even to this day as Merem Solomon's right leg, and it lives up to the hype._

_"King of Rats!" The Church head roared at someone nearby us. "What is the meaning of this!?"_

_The Church member in question was a tall, older man wearing a black priest's vestments, cassock and cap, with a brown scarf around his neck and a gold necklace with a red jewel within it. He had red-brown eyes, over which were a pair of spectacles, and short white hair. His expression at the battle before him was one of barely disguised worry.  
_

_Near him, a young boy, only perhaps fourteen or so, stood watching the battle with an undisguised expression of interest. He had dark blue eyes and black hair roughly the length of Starrk's own, though better well-kept. He was wearing a white priest vestment with a golden zipper down the front, and black pants and shoes. Upon his right hand was a strange red symbol partially resembling a sort of fan, and upon both his hands were rings of various make._

_The older gentleman looked at us with a brief expression of surprise, then quickly calmed down. "Nothing sir, just... a simple disagreement."_

_"Was it worth releasing the King of Earth upon him?" Zeltrech questioned, his gaze upon the boy rather than the old man. "I know Starrk is powerful, but isn't that going overboard, Solomon?"_

_The boy turned his gaze towards Zeltrech, his expression changing to one of respect. He bowed his head. "It's been awhile, Wizard Marshal." His gaze then turned to me, changing to an interested expression. "So this is the man you spoke to me about?" He then held out a hand in greeting. "A pleasure to meet you, Shadow Knight Edgar Silverstein."_

_"I... don't think I've had the pleasure," I said cautiously. What can I say? I have problems trusting people who watch my companions getting attacked with interest like some sort of experiment._

_Zeltrech then blinked. "Oh, where are my manners?" He then gestured towards the boy. "Oswald, allow me to introduce you to Merem Solomon, fifth head of the Burial Agency of the Church, also called 'Crown', 'Demon Summoner', and twentieth of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors."_

_It took all my willpower not to draw Belderiver right then and there. The Dead Apostle Ancestors are perhaps the only beings in this world who would have an even chance of defeating a Servant of the Holy Grail in a one-on-one fight._

_Luckily, I was distracted by a massive explosion and roar. As one everyone turned around to see the giant creature fall to its knees, smoke rising from its forehead as another ball of blue light smashed into its foreleg. However, it simply got back up with a mighty roar as it swung its paw, only to miss the grey blur in the distance as it reappeared some distance away, another ball of light being charged._

_"I must say, your companion is quite impressive." Solomon smiled as his "dog" charged at the distant blur, tanking each shot that was fired at it like nothing. "I was actually afraid I had gone too far myself when my right leg tried to crush him, but he's shown an unbelievable level of ability. I have half a mind to summon my right arm to the battle to even things out."_

_"Please!" Lilynette snorted right next to him. "Starrk'll take that mutt down no problem!" She then squinted and grinned at what she saw. "Actually, better start preparing that dog's funeral."_

_Far away and pointed away from us, the light that indicated Starrk's position was glowing brightly again. However, unlike the deep blue from before, it was now a violet color that was far bigger and seemingly more chaotic, as if it was straining be free from his hand._

_Zeltrech actually paled slightly at the sight. "You might want to listen to the girl, Merem..."_

_Merem's own eyes widened as he watched the ball of light form. I couldn't blame him. The amount of energy being gathered was enormous, probably on the level of an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm, and I could feel it from here like one of his regular Ceros during our own battle._

_"The Cero reserved only for the top ten warriors of Aizen's army..." Lilynette muttered to herself quietly, grin getting larger as she watched the light gather together. "...The Gran Rey Cero."_

_As if on command, the violet light finally fired, rocketing towards the Black Dog like a wave of death. Compared to the original Ceros, which could have consumed the top of entire skyscrapers, this one had to be large enough to consume half a small town. With an earsplitting screech, it vanished into the light in a blinding flash, the explosion rocking the very area upon which we stood like an earthquake._

_Lilynette was the first to recover, turning to Solomon with a triumphant smirk. "HA! I told you that dog couldn't stand up to Starr... hey, why are you laughing!?" she yelled as Solomon's left hand went up to his face with a slight chuckle. "Your dog just got creamed! You think that's funny?"_

_"Oh, it's not that," he admitted as he suddenly fell to his knees, breathing heavily as he clutched his right arm. "It's just that... well, he got the wrong demon."_

_Suddenly, his right arm seemed to literally rupture for no apparent reason, just as a mighty roar echoed throughout the area. Turning their attention back to the smoke, they watched as the beast emerged seemingly uninjured save for some extra burns on its body, charging at where Starrk had been but a moment before. The frustrated roar that reached them seemed to indicate that it didn't get him though._

_"My lord," the old man (King of Rats, wasn't it?) quickly said, rushing to Solomon's side. "Are you alright?"_

_"I-I'm fine old friend," he muttered as he took a deep breath before looking at his ruined arm. "Though it would appear Lady Windup was defeated in exchange for blocking that attack."_

_Zeltrech noticed my expression and quickly elaborated quietly for me. "Each of Solomon's limbs is actually a powerful Divine beast-class demon in its true form. If one is killed or defeated, the corresponding limb will rupture and be rendered immobile for awhile. They can regenerate thanks to his unique powers though. That man, for example," he gestured towards the old priest, "is Solomon's left arm."_

_Before I could answer, Starrk suddenly appeared some ways above us with a burst of sonido, his clothing ruffled and ripped in several areas. His sword laid within its scabbard, though to be fair it would rather useless against such a creature, and his face was set in a state of concentration._

_"Ready to give up?" Solomon called up to him. "I'll call him off if you surrender now."_

_Starrk looked down at us, then his gaze settled on one of us in particular. "Lilynette!" he called over, startling her. "Come here."_

_Blinking, the green-haired girl looked confused at first, but then it changed to a smirk. "Alright then," she said before looking at Solomon. "Get that dog ready for its funeral for real this time!"_

_With a burst of sonido, she appeared alongside Starrk, who then placed his hand upon her head. She shut her eyes, as if waiting for something to happen._

_Once more, he looked at me, as if to say, 'Now watch Oswald, as I show you the true power of the Primera,' then turned back around to glare at the beast._

_Then things got interesting._

_A blue pillar of light and power surrounded Lilynette's body, getting brighter and brighter before suddenly winking out of existence along with her._

_"Kick about," Starrk said. "Los Lobos!" Starrk's entire body became covered in smoke as an explosion engulfed him._

_"A most interesting ally indeed, Mr. Silverstein," Solomon said with respect._

_As one, we eyed the smoke cautiously. When it cleared, only Starrk remained, seemingly sitting on air like it was on the ground. In his release state, he was now holding two ornamental pistols, each the same length. His outfit had changed drastically: His upper body was covered in a gray fur-lined jacket over a double-breasted vest, while his legs were covered in dark, skin-tight pants, with gray knee-high fur leggings covering his lower legs, and his arms were covered in gray, elbow-length fur armbands, which ended at his wrists. There was a pair of ribbon-covered bandoleers emerging from his upper back and disappearing into his upper forearms._

_With fur-covered holsters completing the look, Starrk's released form resembled a Wild West gunslinger._

_What interested me the most though was what was on his face. Part of Lilynette's mask now appeared on his head, stretching from the back of his head around to the eyepiece on his left eye, with the flame pattern changing to emerge from the eyepiece and following the mask fragment around to the back of his head._

_I supposed it made sense. During their travels, they had eventually confessed that at one point they had both been the same Hollow, but had split into two separate beings to escape the loneliness that their uncontrollable power had brought them, and this had carried over even after becoming Arrancar. Lilynette was literally his zanpakuto, and to release his full power, they had to fuse again into one._

_And remember how I said that Starrk unleashing his power during our battle was enough to set me on edge and crumble stone underneath him? Now, the pressure of his energy was so great that I actually felt my chest tighten from the pressure, my breathing getting more labored, and I wasn't the only one. The Church head was actually on his knees with hands on his chest, breathing heavily like he was about to pass out, and Solomon, while not as badly, was still sweating and taking quicker breaths, though it could still be pain from losing his arm. The King of Rats was seemingly quivering under the pressure, and the only one who didn't look like he was being affected was Zeltrech himself._

_Starrk seemed to realize this, as he took one look at us and turned back to the dog, which was coming closer. "I just went through this pain-in-ass release to finish this," he muttered to himself before standing up, lifting one of his pistols in the process. "Alright, let's end this Lilynette."_

_After a moment of silence, he suddenly headbutted his left gun. "Don't ignore me!"_

_"Ouch!" The gun _cried _in Lilynette's voice. "That hurt!"_

_"It's not my fault you're not answering!" Starrk snapped. "Now are you gonna help me or not?"_

_"Fine!" Lilynette yelled back. "Let's just end this."_

_By this point, the dog was uncomfortably close, each step soundling like a minor earthquake happening right in front of us. However, Starrk gave no indication he seemed to care, simply pointing his pistol directly at the beast and making himself glow with a blue light. Suddenly, around the gun formed about a dozen spheres of light resembling a Cero, with a thirteenth light forming in the barrel of the gun, getting brighter and brighter.  
_

_'Is he gonna try a barrage of Ceros now?' I wondered, noticing how the energy being gathered seemed much less intense than the Gran Rey Cero of earlier. 'But even if they're much more powerful in this state, that is a Divine-class Beast he's fighting. Does he really think a baker's dozen will be enough?'_

_"Cero Metralleta."_

_I got my answer when he fired, and not thirteen, but a _barrage _of Ceros were released from his weapon like a machine gun, filling the air in front of him so much that it looked more like one giant Cero even larger than his Gran Rey Cero from earlier and rocketing towards the Whale Dog, a veritable rain of death._

_I swear I heard the dog whimper before vanishing into the light. When it faded, nothing was left of it, not even the barest scrap of flesh._

_And just to confirm that it was dead, Solomon groaned in pain as his right leg ruptured just like his right arm, falling to his knees once again._

_"Solomon," Zeltrech said, quickly grabbing his fellow Ancestor before he could fall face-first to the ground. "Are you alright?"_

_"J-Just give me a moment," he said tiredly, wiping his head with his uninjured hand. "I'll be fine."_

_"HA! Told you we were strong!" Lilynette's voice yelled out, causing our attention to turn back to Starrk, walking towards us back in unreleased state, Lilynette beside him. "We're the strongest around these parts!"_

_Merem sighed, as if he was more annoyed that he lost a bet rather than angry he lost a fight. "Alright, I'll concede that you're stronger than me..."_

_Lilynette grinned like she just won the lottery._

_"But there's at least six other beings on this planet who are even stronger than I am currently, so I'd say you're currently Number Seven on this list."_

_Her face went back to being pissed. Starrk, on the other hand, just looked over at the Church Head, who was getting back to his feet. "I'm sorry about all of this; it's just that one thing lead to another..."_

_The Church Head lifted up a hand for silence. "What Merem decides to spend his spare time doing is something I've long since stopped caring about, as long as it doesn't threaten any innocent civilians."_

_"You wound me, sir," Solomon replied with a rather convincing hurt tone._

_"And as Merem is technically still partially independent from the Church, despite being an Executioner, I can't truly punish him with anything save the threat that things will be... much harsher should you two do this again without my permission."  
_

_"It will not happen again, sir," Solomon told him with a bow._

_"I don't intend to," Starrk added, rubbing his neck with the back of his hand. "That took way more out of me than I thought."_

_Merem looked at Starrk for a moment, then held out his hand. "Let's start over. Merem Solomon, Dead Apostle Ancestor and Executioner. A pleasure."_

_Starrk looked at him for a second, then shook his hand. "Coyote Starrk, Espada. Likewise."_

_And thus we established perhaps the best relations with the Church that we ever could have. Even to this day, I personally consider Merem Solomon my closest ally among the members of the Church, and he often tells me about worrisome happenings within._

_He's even a good friend of Starrk. They occasionally get together to shoot the bull, drink, talk about stuff, and even fight (low-key, of course) to this day._

_**Fuyuki Library**_

"...And then he accidentally fell off the bar just as he managed to pull himself up on it!"

Sakura and Lambda shared a quiet laugh at the end of that recount of one of Shirou's misadventures, the mental image of the boy's triumphant face just as he screwed up what should have been his greatest accomplishment to-date too much for either to handle.

"I must say, he sounds like quite the determined person," Lambda admitted as her laughter settled down. "I suppose I should be glad that I'm rooming with such a fellow."

"Yeah," Sakura concurred as she settled down as well. "Shirou-kun's a very nice guy, but he's very protective of people he considers friends and he doesn't like giving up."

"Sounds like a recipe for trouble."

"He can be," she admitted, "though with all that training he goes through, he's more than a match for any bully or thug even at this point." Her face briefly changed to one of worry. "I am afraid when he gets over his head trying to help others though, sometimes to the point of neglecting himself."

"I guess that's why he has people like Maiya-san and Fujimura-san around to help him," Lambda replied. "Make sure he's not going too far."

She nodded, yet now seemed to be staring with a faraway look in her eyes.

Lambda cocked her head. "Does he remind you of someone you know?"

Sakura blinked, then looked back at Lambda. "M-My apologizes, Noel-san. I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine," Lambda cut her off with a raised hand. "It's just that... you looked like you were remembering someone."

She looked at Lambda for a moment, then away.

"If you don't want to say anything that's fine..."

"No, it's alright," Sakura interrupted her. "...but you're right. He does remind me of someone important to me: My uncle Kariya."

"Uncle?"

"Well... honorary uncle," she elaborated. "He was a member of the Matou family that adopted me when I was younger, and a good friend of my mother. My sister Rin and I just took to calling him 'uncle', he never took offense, and it just sort of stuck."

Lambda briefly recalled meeting someone named Shinji Matou while at headquarters who seemed to be rather close to Shirou as a friend. She thought about mentioning it, but decided that it wasn't a conversation worth pursuing right now.

"I see," she replied instead. "Well... is he still around?"

Sakura's face fell. "He died seven years ago," she answered sadly. "It was an accident."

"...I'm sorry."

Sakura sniffled for a second. "Don't be. He knew what he was getting into and the risks, but he did it for me... I was in trouble, and he saved my life. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye in person..."

Lambda slowly reached across the table and held one of Sakura's hands. "He sounds like a great man. I wish I could have met him personally."

Sakura sniffled again, this time with unshed tears in her eyes, but she gave Lambda a smile. "Thank you... and sorry about... this," she muttered, gesturing to her face.

"Anything for a friend of a friend, right?" Lambda answered. "Shirou wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I let you cry like that in public and didn't even try to comfort you."

Sakura rubbed her eyes, then looked at Lambda again with cleared eyes. "Yeah... my uncle was a kind person. I guess that's what originally drew me to Shirou: He reminded me so much of him. The first time we meet was when he stood up to a few bullies at school that were messing with me and forced them to leave me alone." She decided to leave out the fact that Rin probably would have beat them up with her bare hands had Shirou not intervened when he did, as she didn't take threats to her sister lightly. Heck, she herself probably could have taken them if she wanted to.

"...Are you and him in a relationship?" Lambda asked confusedly. This talk was starting to remind of something she had briefly read about in a romance novel she only got about four chapters into before quitting: Protagonist reminds girl of someone she cared for earlier on in life, protects her from being oppressed, etc.

Sakura's eyes got as big as dinner plates. "W-What!? No!"

Lambda held up her hands in placation. "Sorry, sorry... you just seemed rather close from what you've told me."

Sakura shook her head. "...Yes, but it's more like a brother-sister thing. I _could _see myself in a relationship with him, but it would just feel... weird."

'Besides,' she thought to herself, thinking about Rin, 'it's funny enough just watching Rin get all flustered around him. I couldn't take that from him.'

...

"Achoo!"

"You alright, Rin?" Maka asked as the red-clad Magus rubbed her nose with her sleeve.

"I'm fine," she sniffled before taking a few tissues from a box near the desk, "Honestly, I think I might be coming down with something recently..."

Maka waited politely as Rin blew her nose. "Well, on to what we were talking about, no, Noel is not in a relationship with Shirou."

Rin pulled the tissues away from her face, looking at Maka as if she had just shot her pet cat. "W-Wait, we weren't talking about that!"

"You were thinking iiiiiittttt...!" Maka replied in a sing-song voice.

"I... Gah!" Rin's anguished cry was mercifully still quiet. Afterall, she still had some standards for herself. "C-Can we just move on to something else?"

Maka chuckled, always amused by Rin's outbursts, but decided to not press the issue. That could come another day. "Well, how are things on the home front?"

"Doing great," Rin replied, no doubt glad that they had moved on to something she could talk about safely. "Sakura and I are getting along well, Mother's been resting, and the darn priest got sick with the flu and had to go to the hospital."

Maka blinked. "That's rather rude to talk to your teacher and mentor, Rin." Of course, considering the person they were discussing, a part of Maka privately wished he had been hit with something much worse than that.

'Stop that,' she thought quickly. 'Kirei Kotomine was as much a victim of the war as everyone else... and he may or may not have saved me and Soul's lives in the end.'

Rin shrugged, not privy to this private conversation. "Eh, he's had worse. Remember the time I shot him in the arm?"

"That morbid image of Father Kotomine's limb aside," Maka quickly said as she decided to change the course of the conversation, still shocked anyone could act so damn calm while bleeding out, "how goes your training?"

Rin's hand subconsciously went up to the silver cross around her neck. "Good. My studies have been going well, as has my target practice," she said, then grumbled, "I guess the priest really knows what he's doing..."

"How about Sakura's?"

"Well enough," Rin answered. "She's learned enough to defend herself if it came down to it, and her Sorcery Trait: Hollow is perfect for fighting spiritual presences if she has to. Combined with her restraining spells, she could serve well as a support magus."

"Or go into business as a Ghostbuster," Maka joked.

Rin giggled slightly. "I guess so..." Then her face got serious. "Does Shirou..."

"No, he doesn't yet," Maka assured her. "No one's told him as far as I know, though that doesn't mean he himself hasn't found out."

Maka and Soul had long kept the secret that Rin and Sakura were Magi from Shirou, and Maiya, while she did know, never acted out or attempted to tell him either. The reasoning was because no one saw any reason as to why he needed to know about it in the first place, though everyone knew the truth would eventually get out.

'Though considering he's friends with Shinji Matou, that all probably doesn't matter,' Maka thought to herself.

Rin let out a sigh of relief. "Well, then everything's fine. He so dense he probably wouldn't figure it out on his own."

'Just because he can't see the obvious crush you have on him doesn't mean he's an idiot,' Maka thought slyly, but decided against voicing aloud. She then casually looked across the room towards the tables on the other side, stopping when she caught sight of something interesting. "Speaking of which, why are you here anyways?"

"Oh, I came here with Sakura to return a book. Why?"

"Because your sister is coming this way with a friend in tow."

Blinking, Rin turned her head to see both Sakura and a blonde girl coming towards the counter, the later with a book tucked under her arm. It took her a moment to process that this was the person Maka had just talked to her about.

"Hey Sakura," Maka greeted the purple-haired girl, "I see you're doing well today. It's good to see you."

"Thank you, Ms. Albarn," she replied with a smile. "It's good to see you too." Sakura then turned to Rin. "Rin, I would like you to meet Noel Valenzuela. Noel, this is my sister Rin."

Lambda bowed her head. "It's a pleasure, Ms. Tohsaka. Sakura's told me everything about you."

Rin returned the greeting with her own, having had proper etiquette drilled into her head by her mother for times like this. "Well, I would hope not. The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Valenzuela."

"I see you've met Noel," Maka continued as she looked at the blond girl, "I hope it was pleasant."

"It was," Sakura confirmed, turning to Lambda. "We talked for a while about some interesting things."

"It was... very informative," Lambda added with a small smile. "I enjoyed it."

Rin looked like she was about to say something, then glanced down at her wristwatch, eyes widening as she did. "Crap!" she yelped, quickly grabbing Sakura by the arm. "Sorry about this, but we've got to go!"

Sakura couldn't stop her sister and had to struggle just to avoid becoming dead weight being dragged along on the ground. "M-Maybe we'll come visit you sometime!" she managed to get out before reaching the library doors. "Goodbye!"

Maka and Lambda simply watched as Rin half-pulled, half-dragged her sister along, heading back in the direction of their home.

"...That was... something..." Lambda finally muttered.

Maka scratched the back of her head. "Eh, Rin can be like that sometimes if she has deadlines, but she's nice under all that. Don't let it get to you."

Lambda had no intentions of 'letting it get to her', but simply nodded and lifted her book up. "Speaking of which, I would like to check this out please."

Maka took the book and glanced at the title, her eyebrows briefly scrunching up in confusion. "Japanese Mythology: A Collection of Deities, Heroes, Monsters, and Their Individual Tales?" She then looked back at Lambda. "Didn't peg you for the myth lover, honestly."

Lambda just shifted in place, deciding not to mention what had happened as she read through it. "I find it rather... fascinating," she finally settled on saying. "Something about the idea of an omnipotent being in charge of a specific concept and all that."

"I suppose," Maka admitted, then glanced at it again. "Seems interesting though."

"Very much so."

Maka then sighed as she looked back at Lambda. "Unfortunately, you'll need a library card before you can check stuff out." Noticing a sudden sag in Lambda's shoulders, she then continued. "However... I don't see anything wrong with you using _my _library card until then."

Maka then pulled out her own card, complete with her identification, name, and picture, and placed it on the desk. "I guess I can do you a favor."

Lambda smiled slightly. "Thank you, Ms. Albarn."

"How many times do I have to say call me Maka?" she asked as she scanned the card and the book, putting the former in its original place and the later nearby. "Now go and finish sorting those books."

"Of course... Maka."

_**Emiya Residence (Evening)**_

"Are you certain about this?" Lambda asked for the fifth time as she and Shirou stood at the opposite ends of the dojo, the later clad in his dojo gear from earlier while she was still wearing her normal clothing. "I do not want to get in trouble because you wanted to make this fight more interesting."

"Trust me," he said for the fifth time. "It'll work."

Lambda resisted the urge to roll her eyes. A part of her noticed she was becoming far more comfortable showing her emotions around others and that she was speaking far more freely than ever before, but she pushed that thought to the side and summoned her armor, feeling the familiar feel of the metal and skin-tight clothing replace her normal stuff, noticing the slight narrowing of her vision that her visor brought as it appeared over her face, and listening to the comforting sound of her wing-blades moving about in the air around her.

"Alright, now what?"

In answer, Shirou walked towards her. "Okay," he said as he held his hands out, "I think I know how to do this. Could you bring one of your blades over here?"

Lambda was confused, but complied, allowing one of her swords to float over to where Shirou was. Shirou stared at it for a moment, took a deep breath, and then placed his hands over it, muttering something under his breath. Suddenly, a blue glow appeared under his hands, which he quickly spread until it completely surrounded the sword.

"Alright," he breathed slowly, then picked up a block of wood he brought with him. "Try swinging that at this."

She briefly glanced over the blade, noticing how it hadn't seemed to change weight or anything like that, just color, and stabbed it into the wood.

It impacted with a _thunk_, the blade buried about half an inch into the wood, the blue glow flickering about it before disappearing.

"...I take it that wasn't supposed to happen." Lambda quipped as Shirou just stared at the wood, no doubt imagining himself in its place. She then called back her blade, forcing it off the wood.

"...I guess even that blunting spell is beyond me still," he muttered quietly, then sighed. "I guess we won't be practicing tonight after all."

Lambda looked at him as she dispelled her armor, a part of her feeling just a little guilty at his expression, then sighed herself as she walked away.

'I will probably regret this.'

Shirou didn't notice what she was doing, and thus was completely unprepared for the shinai that bopped him on the head.

"Ow!" he hissed, then looked to Lambda holding the other end. "Lambda, what are you doing?"

"Training," she replied simply, then swung again. This time, her blade met Shirou's still sheathed cutlass, which he originally intended to use during this exercise, and was parried.

"Seriously?" he asked as he moved towards the rack, putting down his cutlass and grabbing his own practice sword. "I thought you said you..."

"Pick up another one." she suddenly said.

"Huh?" Now Shirou was confused. "What are you-"

"Just do it."

Unused to this sudden demanding tone, Shirou slowly complied, grabbing one of similar length and lifting it up. "You know these are too long to be used properly at the same time-"

There was the familiar sound of a portal being opened. One swift _slice _later, and Shirou found himself holding two shortened shinai, more in line with what most people could properly duel-wield.

"You showed a surprising level of skill with dual swords during the last part of our match," she told him as he glanced at the sliced-off parts. "I want to see if that was simply a fluke or not."

"...These were a perfectly good pair of swords, you know."

"No one'll miss them," she replied, assuming a ready stance with her sword, feeling strangely familiar with it. "After all, I need to give you something of a handicap to make this fair."

Shirou just stared at her for a moment, then sighed, assuming his own stance. "Are you sure you don't want to change into something you're not afraid to sweat in?"

"This is something I don't mind sweating in," came the reply, though she did take her beret, jacket, and glasses off before getting back into position. "Your move."

Silence descended upon them.

A moment later, and the clash of shinai rang out throughout the dojo.

...

Lambda sat cross-legged on her futon, dressed in a pair of rocket-ship pajamas while looking down at her library book. After they had had their sparring match, Shirou and her had retired for the night, taking a brief shower separately before wishing each other goodnight. By that point, Maka and Soul had already gone to bed, needing to work tomorrow, Taiga had already left for her own home, and Maiya was still awake when they had gotten back inside, drinking coffee and reading a newspaper, giving them only a brief glance before going back to reading.

She had to admit, she was surprised. She had done much better at the sparring match than she thought, her arms seemingly understanding when to move the sword in her grip to block and swing at Shirou, who countered with his twin swords with far greater skill than she thought he could use in such a short amount of time, especially considering that she had never seen him use dual swords in the time before this.

In fact, she actually had to say he was better with two swords than just one, and needless to say, he had won their match even with her unprecedented skill with a single sword. And the next match after that. She only won the third and fourth match because she decided to forego 'fair play' and brought her superior strength and speed into play, overwhelming his skill. The final match was a draw as Shirou got wise to her tricks and pulled out all the stops on her short of using self-Reinforcement and Tracing.

Now, she just wanted to look over her book before hitting the sack.

"I wonder if I'll see any other flashes with this little thing I brought home..." she muttered quietly as she turned the page, briefly scanning it before turning again. "I haven't felt any different since that last one." She turned again, reaching the page titled 'Susanoo'.

Before she read anything though, she blinked when she realized she had just called this place 'home'. As in a place she could come back to anytime she wanted and actually feel like she belonged.

The thought brought a smile to her face as she read on.

"Susanoo, the Shinto god of the seas and storms," she muttered quietly as she read. "Brother of Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, he was the last of the children born of their father Izanagi when he washed his face after failing to bring his wife Izanami back to life. He wielded the blade Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, which was used by his father to kill his brother Kagutsuchi, and was very restless in personality. He slayed the Yamata-no-Orochi and married the woman who was to be sacrificed to it: Kushinada-hime."

For a moment, nothing happened, and Lambda, though somewhat disappointed that nothing happened, decided to put the book up and call it a night.

_Then _the flash came. This time though, she heard her own voice speaking in addition, though it was different. It was much... colder, more like when she had first woken up.

_"Scanning... target identified as a Sankishin Susano'o Unit. Target threat level is SS. Standby..."_

_"Ah... So this is what you were after Grimalkin," a strange voice said. It wasn't so much that the voice itself was strange but the way it sounded: It was like listening to someone speak through a voice synthesizer or something like that._

_"Hakumen?" came Kokonoe's voice, almost like it was over a speaker, "I was wondering where the hell you ran off to. Get back to base. Now!"_

_The other (Hakumen) seemed almost amused by her demand. "Hmph... Your Ars is no longer sufficient to impede me. Although," he added distastefully, "survival at the whim of that bloodsucking demon is little better than servitude to you."_

_"Oh, so it was Rachel that busted you out!" Kokonoe yelled over the speaker, but Hakumen didn't seem to pay her any mind, if his next words were any indication._

_"A cobbled together creature with an imitation causality weapon," he observed with slight interest (and Lambda had the creepy feeling he was referring to her), "Very courageous, Grimalkin. Do you truly believe that toy can stand against Terumi?"_

_There was something about the way that he ended that question that immediately put her on guard. It sounded almost... angry._

_Apparently, Kokonoe realized that too. "Tch... Lambda, retreat!"_

_"Even a facsimile of that abomination cannot be allowed to exist!" he roared, then came the sound of a sword being brought into a ready position. "I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword. With blade in hand shall I reap the sins of this world, and cleanse it in the fires of destruction!"  
_

_She wondered why the hell Kokonoe didn't just order her to shoot him while he was chanting, but then she heard what seemed like wind swirling around and the earth itself rumbling, and decided that maybe there was a reason for that._

_"Switching to emergency defense mode," she heard herself intone, a familiar warping noise reaching her ears. "Removing all power restrictions."_

_"I AM HAKUMEN! The end has come!"_

_"Lambda! Get out of there as fast you can!" Kokonoe roared over the speaker._

_"Initializing the Idea Engine," she heard herself finish. "Complete."_

_The sound of blades clashing cut off all remaining conversation._

Lambda gasped as she finally came out of the vision, breathing heavily. She had a feeling that had been some sort of battle, and while she didn't know how the battle ended, she did know she probably survived. Just a hunch, but she had a feeling she would know just when she had the flash where she died.

However, she was so tired from all the events today she didn't even bother to dwell on it fully, just lying down to get some sleep. Before she did though, one final thought crossed her mind.

'Do I... really don't want to know what happened to me?'

_**OSG Headquarters, Nighttime (Technically next day for Japan)**_

However, Lambda-11 wasn't the only person having flashes of the past.

_"An interesting experiment indeed!"_

_"What have you done with her!?"  
_

_"I've got this, go help her!"_

_"Please... just let it end."_

_"Damn worm!"_

_"Edgar, why..."_

_"I'm so sorry..."_

_"How could you!?"_

_"You didn't deserve this..."_

_"I will save you..."_

_"Live for me, Oswald..."_

Edgar Silverstein awoke from his sleep with a gasp, eyes casting about frantically as he resisted the urge to summon his sword and bolt upright in bed. Breathing heavily, the boxer-wearing warrior slowly sat upright, wiping his hand across his head and coming away with sweat.

'A dream?' he wondered briefly to himself as he calmed down, remembering where he was. Was it a dream? He had ceased to truly have those when he had come to this world, his nights plagued rather with images that were all too real for him.

'No... memories...'

But in particular, memories of an event that he still considered his greatest failure, right up there with failing to save the woman he loved.

An event he would soon have to tell Shirou Emiya about.

"Is something wrong?"

Edgar blinked, turning his head to the side. Next to him, Chryssie, wearing only black lingerie and the bedsheets, looked at him with concern, hand on his shoulder as his breathing slowed.

Now, some might think it rather strange (and downright scandalous) that he was sleeping with one of his agents in his bedroom in the same bed at night with barely any clothes on. However, there was a reason for this. It was actually a beneficial business agreement that they had come to long ago when she had first joined.

Chryssie was actually a member of a species of beings that needed to feed off people's emotions in order to survive, though one of the best types for her to eat was the emotion of 'love' or some facsimile of it. While she could technically survive off normal food, it was just stuff that kept her going, not truly nutritious.

However, she was also a master of mind magic and she had... other abilities that made her a valuable member of the group. Essentially, she was a kinder version of a succubus (and also a more... insect-like version in her real form, if a human had bug features in an alien-sexy sort of way).

As such, when he had recruited her, they made a deal: In exchange for her services, he would provide her with... nourishment.

Although, he would be lying if he denied that what had started as strictly business eventually became more... intimate, and they had definitely grown closer in the years they had been doing this. Occasionally, they didn't even do this out of necessity, rather out of a desire for someone to be near at night.

He supposed the proper term for their relationship as of this point would be: 'Friends with benefits', as the young folk had started to call it.

"...Nightmare," he answered. It was truthful to an extent; his worst memories often came back to him in the form of nightmares, while his better ones came back in sweet dreams. However, using the term 'nightmare' here implied that none of it actually happened for real, which was a lie.

She nodded. "Must have been a strong one..." she muttered, then looked him over for a second. "Was it about... her?"

That word carried so many potential meanings, but from the way she said it, there could only be one person she was referring to.

"Yeah..." he muttered, then rubbed his face with his hands. "...and I still need to tell Shirou about her."

'And Lambda, come to think of it,' he thought privately. Shirou had actually called him that morning and told him about what Lambda had did with the magic circle, and while he may have been willing to pass it all off as coincidence, the melody had clinched it for him as to what _might_ have happened to the comatose Murakumo that night.

She sighed. "Why didn't you just get it over with this time around? Or even better, when you gave him her sword?" She didn't know Shirou that well personally, having rarely interacted with him, but she did know enough that she understood the significance of what Edgar was doing. "I believe the boy has a right to know about the person who was his very father's partner."

He didn't say anything to contradict her. He knew she was right. "I guess I just couldn't do it this time... maybe I'm just too weak-willed."

He reached up to rub his head again, but was stopped by Chryssie's other hand. "Was it weak will that allowed you to, if only temporarily, defeat the Dead Apostle Ancestor known as the Night of Wallachia?" she asked him, her voice hard with conviction. "Was it weak will that you formed this organization? Was it weak will that earned you each member's respect and allegiance? Was it weak will that allowed you to stop the monster that Sayaka Miki had become, and then preserve her in hopes of someday finding a cure?"

She smiled. "You're not weak, just a little thick-headed sometimes."

He was silent. Sometimes, he could forget all the good he had done in his life, just letting all the bad get to him. He felt like a hypocrite; telling others to that you couldn't let horrible things rule your thoughts and instead focus on what you did right, yet failing to follow through himself.

For a shapeshifter who liked to make a habit of deceiving others, even after reforming, Chryssie could be surprisingly honest.

"...I guess you're right. I have to tell him, and I will once he comes back next year," he admitted, wincing slightly as a jab of pain went through his skull. "Doesn't do a thing for these nightmares right now though..."

She shifted closer to him, turning his head with her hand until he was facing her. "May I...?"

He nodded. Chryssie's hand briefly glowed a sickly green as she placed it on his forehead, but despite the threatening appearance, Edgar sighed as he felt his anxiety and fear fade away, the magic like a soothing balm on his mind.

The glow faded, and dark cerulean-haired mage looked at him. "Any better?"

He smiled. "My thanks, Queen of Changelings."

Had he been anyone else when he said that, she would have looked away angry at best or downright attacked at worst, but instead she simply gave him a melancholy smile. "An empty title here, Oswald. My people are in better hands now and in a happier place. Do not taint them by calling me their queen."

"You could have stayed."

She shook her head. "But I didn't. And of my remaining choices, I chose this world over oblivion, a choice I believe was for the better."

Edgar placed his hand under her chin, making her green eyes met his mismatched ones. "And I for one agree."

She looked at him with a coy smile, arms already wrapping around his neck. "You know I have more than enough love energy to last for good long while."

He gave her a sly grin. "True, but you were never one to resist a free meal."

"Touche."

There was no more talking for the rest of that night. They let their actions speak for themselves.

However, had anyone been watching (to which that person was obviously a pervert who had no fear of divine retribution), they would have noticed something pass from Edgar to Chryssie (and it wasn't any... bodily fluids, just for the dirty minded to know... this time.) in the form of a green mist, the manifestation of emotion being transferred.

* * *

**Well, that's that for this chapter. Next one, we finally get the full story of Sayaka Miki and what I've been reaching for all this time. Let's hope I can pull it off for fans of the series well enough so that they're not breathing down my neck.**

**Anyways, keep reviewing, faving, and following people!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Welcome everybody, to the last installment of Fate: OSG!**

**Yes, after taking much longer than I thought, it is finally over. Let's make this a good one!**

**Disclaimer: Please refer to Chapter 1.**

**Let's go! It's time to cast lots on how good this'll be!**

* * *

_Well, after our encounter with the Church, Zeltrech decided it was high time that we get started establishing the organization itself. However, to do that, we needed a base of operations, and I didn't want to be near either the Association or the Church. Even if I had made an alliance with the later, I didn't want to set up my group right in their backyard. That would be the equivalent of giving them the middle finger and daring them to try something, not to mention it left my group open to influence from either of them, either directly and/or indirectly._

_I didn't want that. I wanted things to be on my terms, and no others._

_When I confronted Zeltrech on this issue, he simply smiled. "I had a feeling you would say that," he told me, then handed me three slips of paper, which I realized were boat tickets, and also a thick folder of some sort. "Be on that boat come tomorrow. It'll take you to a place that I think you'll like. See you when you land!"_

_With that, he was gone. Seeing no other recourse, I got Lilynette and Starrk together and we stayed our last night in the Old World in an open field away from the city, right under the stars like we often did when we were traveling. During that time, I took a good look at the folder and realized that what I was holding were identification documents that officially registered us by our new names: Edgar Silverstein for myself, Raymond Starrk for Starrk, and Lilynette (Lyn) Starrk for Lilynette herself (which made sense as they were related to an extent). I glanced over some of it, but eventually gave up and put it away._

_Come next morning, we were on our way to the small part of the New World called the United States of America._

_Just our luck they happened to be in the later stages of their Civil War. We were lucky to avoid getting drafted into the military a short time after we arrived (and don't get me wrong, I was all for freeing the slaves and all that good stuff. I just didn't feel like we could make a real difference in such a thing by ourselves, and using our powers would have thrown up a red flag for both the Association and Church.) and several times we had to fight to get away, which I think were covered up by being so-called 'Confederate sneak-attacks' or some nonsense._

_Still, we made it through, hiding out in Maine in a little town called Haven, I believe it was, until it was over, then made our way down to the South in the company of Zeltrech, who found us holed up there and was the one who told us it would be safe to travel on down. Eventually, we upon a clearing in the middle of woods of nowhere in Alabama. It was large, clean, and peaceful, save for the giant brick building standing in the center in ruins._

_"That right there," Zeltrech told us when we got a good look at it, "is the last remains of an old town that used to be here, destroyed in a great fire that consumed everything else. At least, that's the official story."_

_"What's the unofficial one?" Starrk asked as he looked over the building, noticing as I did that while the place was in did in ruins, there were no scorch marks or ashes that indicated that there had been a fire._

_"That would be the fact that this place had the misfortune to be an area where Counter Guardians were summoned by Alaya to stop a hideous ritual that would have brought forth a being of immeasurable power and unspeakable evil into the world; but one of many that exist outside the planes of this existence called Old Ones, yet desire this world because they cannot bear the thought of creatures with free will being apart from them. Those pathetic cultists were led astray by false promises of power and attempted to summon it into this world, only to be slaughtered by the Counter Guardians when they were summoned to this place."_

_"Then why was this building spared?"_

_"The catalyst that would have been used to summon the beast was stored within this building. When it was activated, the building was transferred to the Old One's domain so that the rift left in its place could be used as a portal to crawl out into the world." Zeltrech sighed to himself. "Fortunately, it didn't make it that far before sixteen Counter Guardians suddenly appeared within the town, slaughtered everyone within and burned it."_

_He then looked at us directly. "That was the easy part. The following battle with the Old One resulted in the the entire area being reduced to ashes, including much of the forest and the town ruins, and ultimately cost the lives of eight Counter Guardians before the creature was stopped, then another three in order to seal the portal permanently."_

_"...That's pretty badass," Lilynette quipped._

_Zeltrech grinned. "Yeah... anyways, by the time a crew of Executioners and Enforcers made it to the scene, the Guardians were gone and the all that was left was the building and the rapidly decaying corpse of the Old One."_

_"What did it look like?" I finally added in for my two cents._

_"Think a massive slug with eyes everywhere, now add it the fact it was wearing insect chitin like armor with countless branch-like limbs with blades capable of cutting buildings apart with a single stroke and covered in a greenish glow. You get a good idea." He then gestured towards the building. "Now before anyone gets cold feet, that was almost a century and a half ago. Those guys were very through in purifying the area of any traces of the creature, and what little that remained dissipated after so much time without any thing coming here."_

_"I suppose that's why there aren't any trees in this particular area either," I observed. "Too much wrongness."_

_"Correct, and this area gets quite a rep for being cursed," Zeltrech added. "You'll be able to build your base of operations without much outside influence for at least a few decades, I'd guess."_

_...Well, it wasn't perfect, but it would do._

_Zeltrech nodded when I told him that aloud. "I figured you would say that. After all, all of you are no strangers to the machinations of death, so perhaps this place is perfect for the team you're putting together."_

_"Speaking of which," Starrk interrupted, watching carefully as Lilynette ran on ahead to check out the building, himself and rest of us following at a leisurely walk, "Exactly who or what are we recruiting, and how?"_

_Zeltrech chuckled. "The 'how' will be achieved with my magic. The 'who' and 'what' will be those you believe deserve it."_

_Anymore conversation was interrupted when we heard a large _CRACK, _followed by a _SLAM. _Quickly rushing forward_, _the three of us found the source: Lilynette had grabbed the knob on the front entrance and, finding it jammed, pulled at it with all her strength._

_The result was her holding the knob while the door itself came off its rusted hinges and crashed onto the ground. Now the three of us were staring at her as her gaze awkwardly shifted between knob, door, and us._

_"...That was just some wind..."_

_And so went the first day of the organization that would one day call itself OSG: Ordinis Sancti Gladius (Order of the Holy Sword), a name I choose out of some sense of irony for my cursed sword Belderiver. Perhaps I thought that someday this weapon would be seen not as murderous weapon of darkness, but as a blade of justice, despite its origins, as well as my desire to change._

_True to Zeltrech's word, his magic allowed us to travel to multiple dimensions, where we meet different warriors on the verge of death or even already dead, which we then healed with the Belderiver's crystals (yet another reason I chose the name of the organization) and brought back to this world._

_However, every potential member must willingly consent to this for one good reason: If a being from another dimension absorbs a sufficient amount of the crystal while on death's door, the 'link' between their physical forms, spirits, and their home dimension becomes blurry, undefined as it were (as I'm sure anyone reading this has heard stories about dimensional travelers who were incompatible with the universe they were visiting for some reason or another, be it the universe rejecting their presence or some such). Once we use the Second Magic to cross back to this universe, the 'link' settles down and re-anchors itself to the new reality. It's actually much more complicated than that, but that's the general gist of it._

_The problem with this is simple though: Because Gaia's a total bitch, (not really, but I blame her anyways), the crystals won't do so again for anyone's who's been healed that way before, forcing the link to be permanent. They can never go back... ever. Which is why we don't make the offer to anyone save those who are going to die or are even recently dead. They have nothing to really go back to, and anyone who cares for them will hopefully move on._

_Every otherworldly member of the organization had more or less the same experience with some differences. For example:_

Anderson: _We found him as pile of ash in the ruins of a more modern London that looked like it suffered both an invasion and zombie apocalypse. His revival was accidental, as Lilynette dropped two big crystals into his remains, which were somehow enough to bring him back and give him something like a physical body again. I chalked it up to an indomitable will to keep fighting and a strong soul. Even then, his body was unstable for at least a few years, though that didn't stop him from trying to kill us when he first woke up, and we eventually got the help of a Magus of Aozaki clan to help us by crafting a puppet body for him identical to his old one. While it took a while to convince him we were good guys, especially because of my cursed sword, he warmed to the idea of still being able to serve the Lord the way he knows how: Slaughtering monsters and heathens (took us awhile to convince him not to do the later with impunity and all the time)._

_He now serves as our official liaison to the Holy Church and is often away from OSG to hunt Dead Apostles, just as he did in life (and does with even more gusto, as these guys are actually harder to kill than the normal ones he once fought). He's essentially our go-to guy for dealing with DAs. He wields a seemingly limitless supply of blessed bayonets, each of which is explosive by the way, and has even mastered some level of Holy Scripture to use in combat. Unbelievable levels of strength and endurance at his disposal. It's rumored he was the man who taught members of the Church to use their Black Keys like Wolverine, and is the teacher of the mighty Ciel, considered one of the most deadly members of the Burial Agency. He sees her almost like a daughter, and she reciprocates as if he was a very... enthusiastic father figure. Fought the Dead Apostle Ancestor Enhance to a draw, which was the reason that the DAA originally joined us, and held his own against the DAA known as 'White Knight' Svelten for over twenty minutes before reinforcements arrived, forcing the vampire to use his Reality Marble 'Parade' to escape alive when Andy resorted to using his secret weapon: The Nail of Helena. The end result caused massive collateral damage, and thus he was forbidden from using it again unless there's no other choice and innocents are evacuated. Despite this, he's still rather decent, often caring for orphans in his free time as he did in his former life.  
_

Dr. Ciel: _No relation to the aforementioned one, she was discovered in an abandoned and destroyed lab with a blade lodged in her guts and a screen in front of her registering the message: "TRANSPORT COMPLETE. PACKAGES SENT". When we brought her back, we discovered she was some sort of cyborg being, as she had cybernetics deeply ingrained into her body, yet still had a normal human brain and even heart (though both had machinery within them). She was grateful for us saving her life, though she nearly broke down when we told her we couldn't send her back, as her world was in danger and she had no idea if the precautions she had taken to prepare had succeeded. Her meeting Giro, someone from her world or at least some version of it, eventually soothed this guilt somewhat, but she still misses her little sister and the soldiers under her command. I feel for her, I truly do._

_She now serves as the official scientist of the organization. It was she who allowed us to more properly harness the Second Magic that Zeltrech used to create the portal that links to other worlds (and considering she was from a technological world, I'm surprised she was able to make heads or tails of it). She's not one for combat, but she does research the Void in order to make travel safer within and was the one who gave Giro the weapon that allows him to keep fighting. Kind and humble, she's also a bit of a medical doctor, and saved and treated several agents or recovered people that were injured once they return to this side. She's not that bad a shot with a pistol either._

Chryssie: _...Now, before anyone says anything, that day was rather weird. When we made that portal to her world, something that never happened to us before happened, something so ridiculous that I still can't believe it did happened._

_We were turned into ponies._

_Literally, we were, in the names of any and all deities in this world and all others, _ponies_. Hooves and all, with some of us having wings or horns in addition. We were a little girl's wet dream, with the exception of Logan, who looked like a crystal pegasus wearing dragon scale._

_Anyways, we found her lying in the middle of a barren wasteland, practically on the verge of death with several smaller, more generic creatures similar to her all around her in various stages of life and death (by the way, they were basically insect-ponies with black chitin, horns, insect wings and holes in their legs. She was more or less their queen, if the way she was definitely bigger and more regal looking meant anything). After a bunch of... bizarre adventures involving her, her people known as changelings, the equestrian residents of this world plus their leaders and those that defeated her, and getting through plenty of scrapes together, she eventually chose to come back to our world with us when it was time to leave. When we got back, her form shifted to a more humanoid one along with us (something to do with dimensional travel, I suppose), though she chose to take a more permanent human disguise to hide her identity. She also changed her name from 'Chrysalis' to 'Chryssie' to try and minimize anyone the risk of anyone guessing what she really is, though I doubt anyone's ever heard of anything called a 'changeling' in this world._

_To this day, she's practically my espionage agent: Finding secrets around the world and observing interesting phenomena. Despite this, she's also one of my most loyal people, following my orders. Manipulative and cunning, her deceptive attitude does put others off, like Harbinger, but she's steadfastly loyal. She's an accomplished user of magic, mind and illusions being her preferred thing, though she can use offensive spells just fine. As she relies on emotions to feast on in order to survive and restore her power, she and I also made a deal to make sure she doesn't go around seducing any other members of the organization, meaning we're sort of... friends with benefits, as they say nowadays, and that's as far as I'm gonna mention here.  
_

Enhance: _One of the few warriors among us from _this _world originally, he was a Dead Apostle Ancestor who got his title from killing the one who turned him into a DA in the first place, then made it his business to kill every DA and DAA he could find. Apparently, he still retained his humanity even as a DA, something that most throw away without regret. Logically, it was Anderson and Harbinger who found him during a hunt, coming across him just as he finished killing head DA. Unfortunately, a fight broke out because Anderson couldn't get over the fact that he was facing down a DAA in person, wanting to test his strength, and Enhance was just egging him on. Although I wasn't there to see the fight myself, Harbinger told me had he not been there to help subdue Enhance and calm Anderson down, they would have torn each other apart. After that and he was brought before me, we made a deal: He works for me and has protection from the Church, and I give him free rein to kill monsters. He agreed, and it's been beneficial to say the least._

_These days, he's here at base perhaps once or twice every six months save when he's taking breaks, spending the majority of his time hunting. He's our_ other _go-to guy for killing DAs.__ He occasionally works with Anderson and Harbinger, though he's just as likely to argue and fight with them as he is to do so alongside them. Still, he loves drinking with the later, and always spars with the former whenever he has a chance. And while it's true that he's actually one of the youngest DAAs and therefore one of the weakest, possessing no amazing supernatural powers or real skill, he's still a credible threat, using his willpower, speed, and temperament to make up for it all. He wields a powerful two-handed sword called Avenger, stolen from the former #18, and a Holy Scripture from the Church in the form of a shotgun. Funny enough, he looks like a shadowy version of a guy I once met through the Second Magic called Dante, a half-demon demon slayer. I tried to get them in the same room together, and they were so confused by each other appearance they didn't even fight! In terms of accomplishments, he actually killed, alongside Harbinger, the Dead Apostle of the Lake Louvre and his children, and also survived fighting 'Black Knight' Strout (though the DAA might have just been toying with him)._

Giro: _Similarly to the later-mentioned Logan, he didn't even have a real body when we found him. Instead, what we found was a red ball of light called a Cyber-elf, a sentient computer program created with pure energy, that was all that was left of his original self. Unlike Logan though, we recreated Giro's body from his memories, getting the help of a certain Magus named Touko Aozaki to recreate it by using his memories as a blueprint. It worked, and he admits that in some ways it's actually superior to his original one._

_He now serves as the official transporter of OSG, essentially our mailman who gets things where they need to go and brings stuff back. He's an accomplished swordsman, one of the best we have. Ciel also remade his special device called a Biometal, which he uses to turn into a more powerful form with red and black armor, a black visor, and an energy saber resembling a katana, along with enhanced powers and abilities. He's also one of the kindest members we have, and often is the 'first impressions' guy for the new recruits. He's also currently married to another agent of OSG, Jeanne Delacroix, and I'm personally happy for them. They remind each other of someone very important to themselves._

Harbinger: _Found him in a forest dying from a deadly poison from insect monsters that bled acid, agents of an Old One, lacerations all over his form. Even with the crystals, we were surprised with how fast he recovered. At first, he was very sarcastic with us, not liking the fact that we more or less, in his words, enslaved him to serve in our organization like some sort of attack dog, and I mean that literally, as he's a werewolf, the KING of werewolves mind you. Still, I don't know when exactly, I eventually earned his respect, though it might have something to do with the fact that I had a DA and dragon under my command by that point and treated them fairly. Or it could be that myself and the other powers-that-be don't get along and that it reminds him of his annoyance with the government of his world._

_He's our main instructor, training those who would become a member from this world and even occasionally the ones who come from other worlds. When he's not doing that, he's out hunting monsters. It's a bit of a hobby for him, and he has a bit of rivalry with both Enhance and Anderson, often fighting to see who can get the most kills come the end of the month. He's an expert shooter and excellent close-range fighter, and his regeneration even in human form makes him formidable. When he turns though, he becomes a literal harbinger of death, tearing apart anything that attacks him. I once saw him get a hole blown through his chest and he kept fighting while it regenerated on him. Of course, he also eats a lot since regeneration burns calories like dry grass in fire, and he never stops smoking since his lungs are repaired of any cancer damage. He's honorable though, and he has an air about him that makes you want to get to know him and rally behind any cause of his. Plus, his no-nonsense attitude makes him a reliable guy. Killed the Dead Apostle of the Lake Louvre and his children with the help of Enhance, and even earned the respect of Gransurg Blackmore, the Black Wing Lord, after fighting him out of a misunderstanding, which is no small feat. _

Logan: _He didn't even have a physical body when we found him. In fact, what we found was not the true Logan, but rather a small fragment of his soul. The true Logan Tezerenee had given himself up for the world, making the ultimate sacrifice to become the very world itself to stop a group of abusive precursors from completing their plans to erase all of existence and had been planning this from the near the beginnings of time. What little we found of him we managed to stabilize with crystals, which he absorbed to take on an actually seeable appearance. Afterwards, we managed to construct a new body for him with even more crystals, (this was before the time we knew of Touko Aozaki, so we couldn't go to her for a puppet body), as they are crystallized lifeforce, though it took several decades before he could actually use it (and even then, we eventually went to Touko for help in stabilizing his condition and creating a special body). The reason for this is that his normal human form is but a disguise for his true, gargantuan dragon form (though he will tell anyone who asks that he would give up all of his powers if he could return to his original form). He was rather ambivalent about the fact that he was alive (or at least some shadow of himself was), though he was grateful he could at least wander about the world without risk of losing his mind and self (long story involving his transformation into a dragon)._

_He doesn't stay at headquarters often, preferring to travel the world and see it in all of its glory with his own eyes, dealing with threats as he comes across them, though when he stays he serves as an importunate magic teacher. This travelling business is tied into his backstory: He was confined to an ancient room that allowed to spy upon everything under sun in his world, and even some things that weren't; however, he could never go to those places himself, for to do so would turn him into a monster in mind as well as body. He's an accomplished magic user and swordsman, as he was from a clan of warrior mages that prided themselves on the fact they were just as fit physically as they were mentally, though his magic is at odds with this world, as it more or less has him 'demanding' and 'forcing' the world to bend itself to his knee to get what he wants done, which has the potential to alert Gaia or Alaya and even once forced him to fight Counter Guardians. He's brilliant and cunning, and once fought and defeated the DAA Nrvnqsr Chaos, though he failed to kill him. His dragon form is roughly the half the length and height of Merem Solomon's Whale Dog, though he still maintains his intelligence in this form, and fights by utilizing magic alongside his natural advantages of teeth and claw. His prefered power is controlling crystals, through which he can communicate long distances, create prisons, and/or even weaponize sunlight as a death ray attack, though the later is only done as a dragon._

Trixie: _She came from the same world as Chryssie did, curious as to what sort of world we were from, and didn't hesitate to come even when she learned that she could probably never go back. Like Chryssie, she also took on a humanoid form, though she appears as a natural human rather than the insect-hybrid Chryssie really is._

_She serves, believe it or not, as our legal attorney. I was skeptical at first, but it turns out their court system isn't that different from ours, apparently having based it upon some humans that once lived in their world (though that doesn't explain why the hell we changed when we got there...) though she did need some time to brush up on the obvious differences in our world (I still get a kick out of how she learned that there is no such thing as 'cloud ballistics' in this world...) and once served as a prosecutor. Though even she has some quirks: She goes to court wearing a magician cape and hat with stars, refers to herself in third person, and has an ego bigger than the courtroom itself, and yet can still get anyone who got put in the big house out without much trouble and beating down any prosectutor who tries. She does have magical ability, but its nowhere near as powerful as Chryssie or most trained Magi, forcing her to rely on trickery and illusions (which are perhaps some of the best I've ever seen) to win fights, which is why she's not a field agent._

The Reds and Blues: _That was an accident involving stuff I don't even know what fully happened, even to this day. Apparently, they stumbled upon the portal and dropped right into this reality, despite breaking several laws such as why Gaia or Alaya didn't reject them or some stuff. All I can say about them was that they were a quirky bunch, even by our standards. You have never seen such a host of crazy, dysfunctional, and downright pathetic troopers in your life, and they're from the future apparently! ...Though I'll give them credit: When they set their sights on something and stop fighting each other to do it, I've never seen a more impressive and successful team looking so badass. Hell, I think they're the only ones who ever gave a Counter Guardian the middle finger and get away alive._

Sayaka Miki: _...I actually don't know how I should describe this one... but to begin with..._

_..._

Edgar Silverstein stopped penning as he stared at the page, his mind knowing what words needed to be said, yet unable to force his hand to write them. He sighed, putting the pen down as he lifted the journal in his hands, surprised by how much he had filled it.

'Wow Earl,' he thought to himself as he absentmindedly flipped through the pages, feet propped up on his desk as he gazed over what had been written, 'You weren't kidding when you said this stuff grows on you.'

Writing this journal had given him plenty of moments to contemplate just how far he had come. From that single building OSG had expanded into a power rivaling that of the Association, Church, and Dead Apostle Ancestors. From being a complete alien to this world, brought here by magic and a promise of a miracle, he had saved people, changed lives and done amazing things.

He briefly wondered what some of those people would have done had he not existed? What would Kiritsugu Emiya ultimately do: Would his choice to do what he did change at all? Would Shirou Emiya be any different from the person he was today? How many innocents would have died if not for him and OSG?

Zeltrech had been right: This world was his second chance.

Yet sometimes, he couldn't shake the feeling and belief that he could have done so much more...

He shook his head, dispelling those self-pitying thoughts. He could leave the 'what-ifs' to the historians. He was living in the here-and-now, and he would do what he thought was right.

'Still, I wonder... what would Kiritsugu think if he saw the man Shirou was becoming?'

A knock at the door brought him out of those thoughts. Looking up, he stared at the entrance, quickly taking his feet off the desk as he did so.

"Yes?" he called out. "Come in!"

The door opened, and Edgar beheld the sight of Shirou and and Lambda-11 walking into the room. Even though it had been a year since he had seen them last, aside from appearing slightly taller and older, they still looked the same as back then.

"You wanted to see us, sir?" Shirou asked, his gaze briefly glancing about the room, no doubt taking into account that Edgar wasn't in armor or holding a weapon. And while he couldn't see Lambda's eyes due to her sunglasses (which, in a way, was quite a smart choice) he had no doubt she was doing something similar.

"Calm down, Emiya, I just want to talk to you two about something."

They seemed to relax slightly, but only just. It made some sense, he supposed. After all, when they arrived with Maka and Soul, they were no doubt informed that he wanted to see them the moment they finished getting to their rooms. That in and of itself might not have been enough to warrant the nervousness that he could see in Shirou's stance, but the fact he also told him to bring his cutlass with him might have something to do with it.

'Maybe he's afraid I'll take it from him?' he thought with slight amusement. 'I don't take back gifts from people while they're still alive... might not want to say that out loud,' he decided, then cleared his throat. "You're no doubt both wondering why I brought you here, aren't you?"

They nodded as one.

"Well, to be honest, I was really only going to talk to Shirou," he confessed, "but after what you once told me about Lambda's whole magic circle almost a year ago, I feel this also applies to her now too."

Lambda looked confused for a moment, then it cleared, no doubt remembering that day herself. Seeing she seemed especially interested in this conversation now, Edgar turned to her.

"Tell me, Lambda, could you do it again, if you tried?"

"...Most likely, sir," she admitted. "I have succeeded in doing so at several points during the past year where Shirou managed to injure himself during training, once when Maiya-san managed to twist her ankle, and twice due to injuries caused by my own carelessness."

Edgar nodded, then standing up, he suddenly grabbed an uncapped pen off his desk and impaled it through his own hand.

Shirou and Lambda both looked at him appalled. "Sir!" they yelled at the same time. "What are you-"

"Don't worry," Edgar told them as if he was discussing weather, grabbing a whole bunch of paper towels that was in his office (because you never know when spills like this might happen). "It'll be fine."

He then proceeded to yank the pen out and throw it into the garbage, quickly wrapping the towels around his hand before blood could spurt anywhere, though they began to rapidly turn red. "Although Lambda, if you could, be a dear and use that magic please?"

She didn't even answer him, only briefly gesturing to where he was standing before a magic circle appeared underneath him. For a moment, nothing happened, then Edgar sighed softly as the pain in his hand vanished to be replaced with coolness. Staring at his injury, he watched as he saw what appeared to be a blue glow shine underneath the towels. The circle played a slow, soft and soothing melody as it tended to his wound.

After about seven seconds, the circle and glow faded, the melody slowly pittering out. Unwrapping his hand, Edgar saw dried blood, but no sign of any injuries.

"Thank you Lambda," he told her. "Sorry you had to see that, but I had to be certain of something."

"And that was?" Shirou asked, trying to keep the shock and confusion out of his voice. "What was so important that you had to-"

"All in good time, Shirou," Edgar interrupted him with a raised hand (the unbloodied one). "You described to me in that call that you heard a certain melody when she cast that magic. I wanted to hear it for myself before we got any further in this conversation. A test if you will."

'And one you passed with flying colors,' he added mentally. 'There's no doubt in my mind anymore.'

"...I passed, if the way you seemed pleased means anything?" Lambda asked. 'Though that was a little much to be called a 'test'."

He nodded. "Perhaps, but now, I can talk to you both about that thing I wanted to say." He then sat down, gesturing to the two seats. "Please, have a seat. This might take a while."

The two of them looked at each other for a brief moment before doing so, no doubt wondering what they had gotten into, but too curious to voice their thoughts just yet.

"So... what's this about?" Shirou finally asked.

Edgar allowed himself a small smile. "This is the story of a member of OSG who has touched your life in more ways than one, Shirou Emiya. She is the one who wielded the blade you carry with you," he said as he gestured towards his cutlass, which he had asked Shirou to bring with him. "And was also the partner of your late father, Kiritsugu Emiya."

He watch with a mental smile as Shirou's eyes got wider and he sat up straight in his chair, no doubt eager to hear what had to be said. Also, while the change was less obvious in his companion, it was clear that she was interested as well.

"This is the story of Sayaka Miki, Knight of Justice... and how she affected us all even to this day."

...

_It all started almost 27 years ago: __It was a standard day, all things considered. We were preparing the portal to take us to a new dimension, Ciel at the head attempting to make sure we didn't end up stranded in the middle of the Void. I was with both Starrk and Anderson, standing in front of the portal waiting for Ciel to give us the go-ahead._

_"Alright, I'm about open it!" she called out to us. "Just a few more seconds!"_

_Anderson shifted near us. "Why am I here again?" he muttered to me._

_"Because you blew up four buildings the last time you went Dead Apostle hunting," I reminded him. "And since I've forbidden you from heading out for the next two weeks in order for things outside to calm down, I think you need to do something to release some pent up energy that doesn't involve fighting Harbinger to the death or terrorizing new recruits into leaving," I muttered back. "Even if we don't have many to begin with."_

_Anderson grumbled, but he seemed content somewhat with that answer. "So where to this time?"_

_It was Starrk who answered. "No idea honestly. I just hope that it doesn't end up with us changing shape again."_

_"Really? Because you didn't seem to have any problem getting... acquainted with that moon princess..."_

_Luckily, whatever Starrk would have replied with was stopped when the portal in front of us crackled to life with a warping sound. Ciel looked at us with a smile. "Okay, I've got one. There appears to be traces of magic in this world, so this looks like something up our alley. I'll drop you where there's a high concentration."_

_We nodded. "Keep the portal ready," I warned her. "I'd like to get out fast if needed." I've had bad experiences with magical worlds: Never know when you need to get back quick._

_As a team, we set foot into the portal. Now, if I was to describe how it feels to travel using our version of the Second Magic instead of Zeltrech's as of that point in our history, I'll give it like this: It's like putting your hand over an open flame and slowly turning it over and over instead of just impaling it with a knife. It's less painful, but the pain is stretched out over a longer period, giving the illusion of being worse than it really is. Though, compared to how our first efforts of using the Second Magic ourselves and not Zeltrech went, it's actually like comparing getting stabbed and slapped: It's gonna hurt, but you'll take the later any day._

_Yeah, dimensional hopping was no joke, which is why I chose people who could either regenerate damage quickly (Anderson) or had incredibly high defensive ability (Starrk) to go in the early days. We smoothed it out eventually, especially with Ciel's help, but even after almost a century and a half, we never quite mastered painless (or only slightly painful) dimension hopping until about eight years ago._

_Regardless, after the painful transition, we ended up at our destination, and I got to say, it was something none of us were expecting._

_It was... indescribable. The entire landscape looked like the remains of a city after being leveled by a nuclear bomb. I saw three young girls clad in white outfits with the additional colors of pink, blue, and light purple and black respectively, perhaps only a year or two younger than you are now, Shirou, lying in various positions all over the ground. The pink and purple-black ones were lying next to each other, the later shaking the former, as if desperately trying to wake her up, while the blue one struggled to her feet, using her swords as support._

_Above them, a giant... woman-shaped thing floated upside down, wearing one of those fancy blue ballroom dresses you sometimes see at old-fashioned balls, though where the legs should have been were a massive set of gears constantly turning in opposite directions of each other. The upper area was still humanoid, but the skin was unnaturally white, the head had two horns tipped with blue, no eyes, and a red line for a mouth, currently opened in what appeared to be laughter at the sight of the three girls on the ground._

_Now, I've never been the guy who allowed who let cruelty to kids stand, and the sight of that thing pissed me off._

_"Starrk," I called out, "Blow that bitch out of the sky."_

_He needed no encouragement. Raising his hand, he charged a Cero blast and shot her right in her upside-down face. A horrible shrieking then occurred as the thing went moving away from the strike slightly, but didn't seem that fazed otherwise._

_So, he just kept shooting._

_Meanwhile, myself and Anderson went towards the girls, who were staring up at the sight of whatever was about to attack getting blasted with shock, myself going for the two on the ground, while Anderson rushed for the blue-haired girl, crystal in hand. This was mostly because I was the more qualified healer and those two seemed to be the worst off._

_I closed the distance just as the pink girl, who also had pink hair, turned back to her companion and seemed to press something towards the black-haired one, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. The two then turned towards me at the sound of my coming._

_"W-Who are you?" The black-haired one asked, her purple eyes glancing over me and trying to hide the sorrow in her tone. "What are you doing here?"_

_"Just someone passing through," I told her simply. I've found when people of other dimensions ask me things like this, just answer with the thing that's true, but leaves out some more confusing things. "though I'd say my companions and I came in the nick of time."_

_Her gaze seemed to glance over to where Anderson was, then to another beam that hit that flying lady. "...Are you here to help us?"_

_"If you would allow us, then yes," I then looked down at her, stopping when I realized she was bleeding from her stomach area. I drew my sword, causing her to narrow her eyes and raise her own weapon, some sort of shield with an... hourglass(?) on it, on her left arm, as well as a pistol in her right hand._

_"I'm not gonna hurt either of you," I told her quickly. "Just let me heal that injury."_

_She looked at me for a long moment, as if attempting to see some falsehood in my words or eyes. Finally, she shook her head. "Don't worry about me, please heal Madoka."_

_"N-No..."_

_Both of us turned back to the fallen girl, who also seemed to be suffering from a gut injury. She was also clutching something in her hand, something that seemed to be turning black. "Don't worry about me, Homura-chan."_

_The sudden show of stoicism that the other girl had was lost as sorrow overcame her. "Madoka-chan, you-"_

_"Edgar!" came Anderson's shout. I turned to see him coming towards me, blue-haired girl in his arms, now wearing some sort of school uniform and clutching some sort of blue gem in his hand. "You're not gonna believe what just happened when I used that crystal to heal her injuries-"_

_Another explosion interrupted us as the thing above us shrieked again. Apparently Starrk's attacks were finally hurting it. Suddenly, I was aware of a dark cloud of seemingly humanoid beings coming towards us, moving like ghosts and chittering something in some unintelligible language._

_"Shit," I muttered, getting ready to fight. "Ciel," I yelled into my headpiece, "Get that portal open now!"_

_"R-Right!" came the response. "Give me forty seconds!"_

_At the rate the tide was coming, we wouldn't have five._

_"Get ready to fight!" I told Anderson, who had just put the girl down and pocketed the gem in his hand, drawing two bayonets._

_Like that, the swarm of beings were upon us. It was like fighting wraiths in the form of little girls, though our weapons tore through them with ease, supernatural/holy properties working on the beings just fine. But it was like fighting neverending odds, three took the place of every one we killed._

_Luckily__ for us, a host of red Bala courtesy of Starrk tore apart their ranks and force them back, giving us breathing room._

_The being above us seemed to screech in anger at our defiance, no doubt promising painful retribution on us. It looked like it was about to descend and personally attack us, but then..._

_"Gran Rey Cero!"_

_A massive purple light completely engulfed the flying monster, the being screaming in agony as the attack incinerated it._

_Anticlimactic__? Maybe, but I've yet to see the beast that survived a direct blast from Starrk's ultimate attack in his normal state. And I wasn't not complaining: If it died before it tried to kill us, I'd live with it being dealt with in such a fashion._

_'Wonder how those girls are doing-'_

_A single gunshot._

_Looking back, I realized that the girl, Homura, was holding the now-smoking pistol in her hand. My gaze landed on where it was aimed._

_The shot had gone clean through the pink girl's, Madoka's, chest, the shattered remains of a blackened gem much like the one Anderson had held falling to the ground around her. Strangely enough, she too was now wearing a school uniform like the blue girl. However, it was the girl's face that was the worst part: It was... peaceful, as if she had been freed of a great sin or weight._

_"What the-"_

_"Go," she told us, her voice cracking. "Take Sayaka and get as far away from here as possible."_

_"What about you?" I asked her, my mind faintly registering that was probably the name of the other girl._

_She continued to stare at the body of her friend, not moving at all. "I'll survive. I always have. But Madoka wanted one of her friends to live. Don't deny her that."_

_I was vaguely aware of Anderson speaking out loud, probably telling me that the portal was here, but my world at that moment was just that of the girl in front of me._

_"Come with us," I told her. "Wouldn't your friend want that?"_

_She turned back towards me, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "...I won't leave without her," she replied, her hand rising towards her shield. "Just go. There's still something I must do. My last promise."_

_I could have pressed the issue, but I recognized that look. It was the look of someone who had chosen their path and wouldn't change it no matter what. And it was obvious her path did not include us._

_I was the last one through the portal, the others and our newest recruit already gone, and thus I was able to see the girl touch the hourglass on her shield, as if she intended to flip it, just before the portal shut._

_..._

_Well, what could be said next? When we made it back, Anderson immediately took the girl to the medical room, while I answered several questions that Ciel had, giving the barebones version of what happened. Afterwards, I followed Anderson to the room where he took Sayaka, noticing how he stood next to the door leading in._

_"Well?"_

_"She'll be alright," he told me. "The crystal worked... if not the way I thought it would."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_He reached into his pocket and pulled out that blue gem from early, and I noticed how it glowed with a brighter color than before, positively gleaming a bright blue. Even the golden casing around it seemed to be shining._

_"Do you know what this is?" he asked me._

_I recalled how I had seen something similar when that Homura girl shoot her friend, remembering the darkened remains. "No idea, but I'm just gonna go out on a limb that it's the source of their magic, whatever the hell it is?"_

_He nodded. "She told me some things when I found her, some of it harder to decipher than others, given her condition, but she did tell me to keep this thing safe before passing out on me. She said her powers and life depended on it."_

_"So? What does this have to do with the crystal?"_

_"This gem," he replied, "was the thing that absorbed the crystal, not her body. It reacted with the gem, merging with it and turning it to the state you see here."_

_I blinked. "That's impossible. The Phozon crystals are crystallized lifeforce and magic energy. Even if that gem is the source of her magic, why would it absorb that energy."_

_"And that's where it gets interesting," he answered me. "When the crystal was absorbed, the gem, which had been darkened with some sort of taint, suddenly changed to this, and she herself actually seemed to look more healthy. Despite being unconscious, she still healed when her gem absorbed it."_

_He then put it in my hand. "I want you to concentrate on this gem right now, then on the girl in the room, and tell me what you find."_

_Slowly, I closed my hand about it and concentrated. Starrk had given me a few lessons on being able to sense spiritual pressure in his spare time, which actually helped me tell if a person could be helped with the Phozon crystals by the fluctuations in their energy as well as a bit of a radar for location. I reached out with my senses and tentatively touched both the gem in my hands and the girl in the next room._

_My eyes snapped open in shock. "She can't be..."_

_He shook his head. "She is."_

_When my senses had be used, I could feel no trace of spiritual pressure from the body of Sayaka Miki within the room. It was as if she was a literal corpse. I searched all over until I caught a whiff of it, almost like a cord connected to her body. I quickly followed the line back up until I reached the source._

_It led directly to the shining gem in my hand._

_"Funny enough, she actually called it a 'Soul Gem'," Anderson told me. "I suppose the name is a bit of a giveaway in retrospect, huh?"  
_

_..._

"Wait, wait, wait," Shirou said suddenly, cutting off Edgar after that surprising revelation. "So... she's a lich?"

"More or less," Edgar admitted. "As her soul is contained in an object separate from her body, a 'soul jar' if you will, uses magic, and is technically undead due to the whole 'lifeless body' if her Gem is too far away, she more or less fits the bill of a lich who actually looks a cute, sparkly Magical Girl."

Shirou was silent, probably digesting this piece of information while looking back down at his sword briefly. It was a perfectly logical action, Edgar supposed, when you learned the weapon you hold once belonged to an undead girl who didn't look undead at all.

"What happened next?" came Lambda's question.

Edgar sighed. "Well, after I took a couple of moments to calm down, I decided to speak with the girl when she woke up... after I made sure to put the Soul Gem in the room on the nightstand near her. I had no idea what she would do if she lost her very source of her life, and I didn't want to risk destroying it and condemning a girl to death before even knowing her..."

* * *

**And that is the end of pt. 1 of the end of Fate: OSG. The next chapter, we finish the story of Sayaka Miki, and we will close this story at last.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello everybody, this is X the Reaper bringing you the second part of Fate: OSG's last chapter!**

**Warning, this is the second part, so please make sure you read the last chapter if you want to know what happened up to this point.**

**Okay, let's go! Endgame time!**

* * *

_"I'm surprised you're taking this rather well," Anderson told me as I prepared to enter the room that our 'guest' had just begun to wake up inside. "I thought you would have took the revelation that she's actually a walking corpse with more... interest."_

_"You're one to talk," I replied. "Aren't you the one who always says, 'The unlife must be purged! Burn the heretics!'"_

_He chuckled slightly. "Maybe, but I do have a soft spot when it comes to kids."_

_'Probably the only reason why, aside from the fact she's looks completely human, that you didn't try to kill her when you first saw her,' I thought, then pushed that accusatory line of thinking aside. "I'm going in," I told him, "you stay here in case I need you."_

_"As you wish."_

_I opened the door, walking in just as our patient opened her eyes. Her reaction to being in a completely unfamiliar place in a bed while a tall, white-haired man in a suit walked right on in right when she did so was completely justified I suppose: She immediately lifted her hand, probably to use her Soul Gem to transform and fight, her face twisted into the look of a cornered animal. Of course, the determination in her pose was immediately lost the moment she realized that she didn't have it, replaced with panic as she looked down, probably to figure out where it was._

_"It's on the stand," I pointed out._

_Her head snapped up at my voice, then she turned as she registered my words, seeing the Gem clear as day. Quickly grabbing it, she once again faced me, though now she had it clutched towards her chest as if protecting it. Couldn't blame her if that really did hold her soul, of course; I would have done the same._

_"Who are you?" she demanded, attempting to sound strong, yet underneath the anger I could sense the fear. "Where am I?"_

_"Edgar Silverstein," I answered kindly. "And as of right now, you're currently in the infirmary of OSG, a secret organization dedicated to protecting this world from dangerous threats and saving innocent lives. We employ vampires,, werewolves, regenerating killer priests, spirits from the beyond, dragons, and even shapeshifters who feed on emotion, plus normal humans who have a habit of killing monsters and doing what's right."_

_She looked at me like I was crazy. "...Seriously?"_

_"You're the who's soul is contained within a piece of jewelry that could be destroyed or lost at any time and can use magic to turn into a some sort of... 'Magical Girl' or some such thing," I replied. "Where do you get off on thinking I'm crazy?"_

_The moment I said that, she clutched the gem in her hands closer to her chest, eyes wide in surprise and fear, her breathing faster. "How did you-"_

_"I have my ways," I told her. "And the fact that I left it there in arm's reach for you instead of taking it for myself to use as blackmail when you woke up should tell you at least something about myself."_

_Slowly, my words seemed to register within her skull, because her breathing slowed as her body relaxed. Her eyes were calmer, though she still had her guard up somewhat._

_"...Where are my friends?" she asked me at last, her voice more level. "The last thing I remember is getting smashed into the ground, then trying to get up before being grabbed by some... priest with glasses and something shiny in his hands?"_

_"He wasn't giving your last rites if that's what you're wondering," I joked slightly, but stopped at the look on her face. "And he's here, by the way. Just outside at that."_

_Turning our heads, we saw Anderson by the window that showed the outside, who seemed to realize we were watching him as he turned around and gave us a wave, which Sayaka returned very slowly._

_"As for your friends," I began when she focused her attention back on me, "well..."_

_So I told her everything that happened, everything which I've just written down earlier involving our encounter. Her face ran the gauntlet from shock, denial, anger, surprise, and finally an eerie calmness._

_I found it worrisome that it was that last one that scared me the most._

_"That's it," I finally finished. "Homura told me to take you away while she had something to do, some 'last promise' she made Madoka, then did something with her shield as we left. Exactly what, I don't know. All I can say is that we can't go back, even if we tried."_

_"...You said Madoka's Soul Gem was black?" she finally asked._

_"What was left of it," I answered her. "Why?"_

_She didn't answer, but simply hung her head, then I noticed that her body was starting to shake. "Damn it, Homura..." she muttered, her voice beginning to be choked with sobs. "Now... I can't even... hate you for that..."_

_I'm not the best at comforting crying women, especially young/teenage girls. I normally get hit by them, even though it doesn't hurt. Still, I couldn't just leave her there, so I put my hand over hers, which were now lying in her lap. She flinched like I just shocked her, but she didn't slap it away, which I took as a good sign._

_"I won't claim that I know what happened to you or your friends," I told her in a soothing voice, "and if you never tell me, then that's your choice and I'll respect that. However, if nothing else, know that this place could be your new haven... if you want to be."_

_"Trying to recruit me into your little band?" she asked me, the sobs dying off though her sad tone was still there. "That's a little sudden, don't you think?"_

_"You don't have to," I admitted. "You could leave this place right now and we wouldn't stop you... though considering what's out there, you might regret it."_

_She seemed to take offense to that accusation. "I'm not weak," she replied with some anger._

_"I never said you were, but can you kill extremely powerful magic users and vampires strong enough to slaughter entire towns within minutes? Or defeat an organization dedicated to killing the undead and with members that could fight armies without breaking a sweat?"_

_She didn't answer that. I then stood up. "I'll leave you alone for now; let you gather your thoughts. Tell me what you think later."_

_I moved towards the door and was about to open it when something she said stopped me._

_"Actually... could you stay just a little longer?"_

_I turned back around, noticing her expression. It was that of someone who was out of her depth and comfort zone, someone who needed someone else to talk to for reassurance. Someone who needed a friend._

_What could I say? I was a sucker for such looks._

_"Why not?" I answered, sitting back down. "How about we start with some backstory?"_

_And so it went. I gave her a brief history of this world, OSG and what we do, and I had to give it to here: Despite being skeptical at some parts ("There's no way you can make me believe that you went to a world filled with ponies."), she seemed to take it rather well, which made sense considering what she told me back. She didn't talk about her personal life much at first, save that she had some good friends, but she did give me some world lore._

_Apparently, where she comes from, there are these monsters called Witches, who are mysterious magical beings who feed on the despair of humans like the one Starrk blew the sh*t out of. They employ minions known as familiars, who, if left unchecked, can grow into duplicates of the original witch. To combat these beings, girls like Sayaka become... magical girls, beings who are given magic to fight the Witches, limiting the damage they cause and preventing them from killing innocent people._

_In order to become one of these protectors of mankind, an alien being called Kyubey (who Sayaka described as a weasel-cat that comes back no matter how many times it dies, even from the goriest death possible) makes a contract with the girl: In exchange for a single wish, she must pursue the rest of her life (or at least live a double life) slaying these Witches whenever they appear._

_In addition to killing Witches, it is also a magical girl's duty to collect the Grief Seeds they drop. All witches reside in private pocket dimensions known as barriers which reflect their broken psyches, with the only exception to this rule to Sayaka's knowledge is the one we saw, Walpurgisnacht, who just imposes her barrier on reality._

_The source of a magical girl's... well, magic is her 'Soul Gem', an artifact that is both the source and the container for her soul. The girl's body itself becomes nothing more than a glorified meat puppet that will die as long as the Gem isn't shattered and will even regenerate any damage caused if given enough time, even from fatal injuries like head-shots or losing a heart. However, if a Magical Girl overuses their magic or becomes to wracked with despair, the Soul Gem begins to become 'tainted', darkening more and more and more. The only way to remove the taint is to use a Witch's Grief Seed to absorb it, though there's only so many uses a single Seed has, so the Witch hunting is as much self-preservation as it is protecting others._

_However, the true 'kicker', as Sayaka put it, the 'punchline' to this little quest is that... when a Soul Gem becomes too tainted and reaches the critical point, it transforms into a Grief Seed and create a new Witch._

_That's right, Sayaka and her friends were literally slaughtering fellow Magical Girls, consumed by their own despair and turned into monsters. Witches (**Majo**) are Magical Girls (**Ma**hou Shou**jo**)._

_"...Yeah..." she muttered, "I didn't take it the whole 'inhuman-monster-in-training' very well, if what they told me means anything."_

_Apparently, the knowledge of this, coupled with a more... personal issue she had (I don't feel I should say it, for the sake of her privacy) was enough to force her to turn into a Witch herself and kill one of her friends, Kyoko Sakura. It was only by the sacrifice of one of her other friends, Mami Tomoe, that stopped her from killing everyone, and she only came back when Madoka became a Mahou Shoujo herself to wish for her back. She personally has no memory of the events._

_"And that's the only reason I didn't try to kill myself when I learned what happened," she admitted guilty, looking like she was on the verge of tears again. "Plus that we wouldn't have stood a chance against Walpurgisnacht without at least another fighter."_

_For my part, I simply listened as she told me everything about all that, and continued to do so when she started getting into more personal matters, such as why she became a Mahou Shoujo in the first place (she wanted to heal a boy she had a crush on), her trials as she fought for what she believed was right, how she began to see herself as and tried to be a 'Knight of Justice', and how she took the truth behind everything. Her emotions ran the gauntlet from happiness, sadness, anger, passionate, nostalgia, guilt and the like, and her voice changed to emphasize that._

_Most of all, she told me how her opinion of the black-haired girl, Homura Akemi: How she hated her attitude of cynicism, how she seemed to look down on Sayaka's dreams and ideals, and how much they clashed. However, one thing did make them share a common bond: They both cared about Madoka, and would do anything to see her happy or at least safe._

_"That's why I can't hate her even now," she told me. "Because if she didn't pull that trigger, Madoka would have turned into something even worse than whatever I did. She spared her the pain of being a monster."_

_Her story was one filled with sorrow and pain. I won't distract you with the smaller details._

_We were in that room for perhaps hours; I never bothered to check the clock. Finally though, she was done talking, leaving me to review all this information. I had to say I was shocked. This was one hell of an info-dump._

_Still, I thanked her for her time and left the room. This time, she didn't stop me. I met up with Anderson outside, gave him the shortened version, and was on my merry way._

_I think that's the reason Anderson likes to murder ugly cat plushies in private even to this day._

_The next day, I went back in, and she seemed rather well rested. I suppose being a walking corpse does have perks. Once again, I popped the question: Will you join OSG?_

_Her response?_

_"You know, the last time I made a life-changing deal like this with something from another world, I got screwed over pretty badly," she told me. "...But I think I like you better than Kyubey. You at least give the truth all up front."_

_She grinned, and for a moment I saw the fire that had no doubt burned in her eyes when she first accepted her contract. "If I can get stronger out of it... I guess I can give it another shot. I'm in."_

_..._

"What happened next?"

Edgar looked up from his brief pause, staring at the speaker, who was Lambda.

"Well, after she agreed to become a member, she spent about a year or so training under Anderson, as he was the only real swordfighter we had among our ranks at this point with a fighting style similar to hers, which consisted of creating swords and hurling them at her opponents while getting in close with a sword in her hands or occasionally dual-wielding... actually it was quite a bit like your fighting style, come to think of it."

"How good was she?" Shirou asked, his once curiosity obviously peaking as he glanced down at his sword. "And how did you figure out how to deal with the Gem corruption?"

"To answer the latter, we were able to figure out a way to deal with that by using specially modified crystals to serve somewhat as Grief Seeds. They weren't perfect, but they did cure her corruption. As for the former... eh, average at first," Edgar admitted. "She had the potential, but her ability to effectively use her swords in combat aside from slashing wildly was sadly lacking. She was a decent thrower though, able to score bullseyes with her thrown blades. She did get better, and even unlocked a new power..."

...

_Sayaka swung her blade and made contact with Anderson's. The blue-haired girl immediately tried to press against it with both of her hands and all her strength, but she was no match even then for the strength of one of Anderson's arms and was forced back a few meters. The sword-wielding Mahou Shoujo wrapped her white cape around herself and summoned three blades, all of which she threw directly at Anderson. In retaliation, Anderson brought out three of his own with his free hand and hurled them at the swords, intercepting each of them and knocking them away._

_I watched the fight with interest. Ever since she had become a member, Sayaka had been obsessed with getting stronger, no doubt because she didn't want anyone else to end up like her old friends on her watch. As such, she always had these daily sparrings with Anderson, who had originally been adverse to the idea before finally giving in and training her._

_Most of them ended with Anderson pounding Sayaka and giving harsh lessons in combat, but they had stuck with her. When once she could only go maybe four minutes fighting Anderson, she was now able to spar for almost fifteen after a only a month of training. They were currently at the twelve-minute mark._

_Finally though, Sayaka left an opening for exploitation. Her cutlass went flying out of hand while Anderson's bayonet laid at her throat._

_"Yield?" he asked._

_"No way," she panted, though I could hear the determination and anger in her tone, "I... can still... one cut... all I need..."_

_Suddenly, her cape seemed to move as if it was in the wind, but there was no breeze at all._

_'What the-'_

_Faster than I could register, one of the forgotten blades that Anderson had knocked away shivered for a moment before jerking upwards like it was on strings and hurling towards Anderson's back._

_"Anderson, watch out!" I called, but by the time Anderson registered my voice and turned, the blade had already impaled him through the chest._

_Sayaka was as surprised as I was. "...Was that... me?"_

_"Looks like it," Anderson replied nonchalantly, as if being impaled was a daily thing around here. "Got me by surprise, I've got to say."_

_With a quick yank, he pulled the sword out by the handle, looking at for a moment before dropping it. "You should practice with that," he told her. "Could save your life someday."_

_Sayaka nodded, then refocused on the injury in his chest. "Alright, alright, just hold still for a second," she told him. "I'll clean this up."_

_"Just a scratch," he told her. "I'll heal fine in a second."_

_By that point though, she had already created the magic circle of musical notes underneath him. The air around us was filled with a slow and soothing melody as the chest wound glowed blue before sealing shut..._

_..._

"Wait a minute, Sayaka could also use healing magic?" Shirou asked flabbergasted. "With the very same circle and melody as Lambda?"

"Identical," Edgar replied. "I never thought I would hear that music again, quite honestly."

Lambda looked down at her hand slowly, as if attempting to imagine another's in her place. "...But how do I...?"

"No idea," Edgar immediately stated. "Though I do have some speculations... but let's wait to the end before that, shall we?"

They nodded and Edgar sighed. "...Well, I know you'll enjoy this part, Shirou, because this is where Kiritsugu Emiya comes into the story."

...

_I looked down at my wristwatch as I sat in my desk much like how I am currently, watching the second-hand go by in its constant rotation. In front of me, Sayaka fidgeted in her seat, glancing around like a schoolgirl about to be punished by the principal and was just waiting for the final verdict._

_I suppose in her eyes, it wasn't that far off of a comparison._

_"Relax," I told her, "Your official partner will be here soon. Just take it easy."_

_"Just might if I actually knew who the guy is," she replied. "I've been here for about a year now, and I've never seen or heard anything about this whole 'Kiritsugu Emiya' guy. Who is he?"_

_I sighed. "Look, Kiritsugu Emiya is a... special case. He and his mentor Natalia were more or less freelancers who sold their services to the Association and Church as hired guns, performing assassinations and the like." I noticed how she narrowed her eyes at that and sighed again. "Look, not everyone makes a clean living off of being a good citizen. Don't judge until you meet him yourself."_

_She calmed down somewhat, allowing me to continue. "Of course, such work means you're gonna make enemies on both sides too, so for the past two years OSG has been protecting them after an incident where they helped us out a little bit. However, Natalia recently died in a mission: She dropped her guard, shit happened, plane she was on got turned into a ghoul nightmare house, and Kiritsugu had to blow it up to prevent innocent people from being killed, at the cost of her life as well. She was like a mother figure to him."_

_Her expression had gradually changed to a more pitying one as I talked. "...Oh, I'm sorry to hear about that."_

_I tapped my desk. "Quite sad, yes. Anyways, I offered him a position in OSG to continue to follow the dream he had been fighting for when under Natalia, impressed with both his conviction and skill. And since you don't have a partner and are due for a mission in the field, I figured why not kill two birds with one stone and pair you up at least temporarily."_

_"Dream?" she asked me. "What sort of dream would a guy like that have?"_

_"...Something very similar to you, Sayaka Miki," I replied with a smirk. "To be a hero who saves others."_

_A knock at the door disrupted us. "Come in!" I called out, and in walked young Kiritsugu Emiya. He was dressed in a mostly all black: Black jacket, pants, boots, the works. The only things that weren't black were his white shirt and his brown belt. In terms of appearance, he was his adult self with no beard stubble and less spiky hair._

_"Thank you for coming, Emiya," I told him kindly. "Allow me to say I am dearly sorry for your loss. I knew Natalia for some time, and she was a very decent person. My deepest condolences."_

_"...Thank you, sir." he replied. "Could you please tell me why I'm here?"_

_"Simple: You need a partner and Sayaka's been waiting for one. Killing two birds with one stone right now."_

_He glanced to the side and seemed to acknowledge Sayaka for the first time._

_"...Uh, hi." she told him._

_"Hello..." he replied._

_Awkward silence insured._

_..._

"I won't go over the exact details of their partnership," Edgar told Shirou suddenly, "but to sum it up: They had a love-hate relationship."

He held up one hand. "For Sayaka, Kiritsugu reminded her so very much about Homura Akemi: He was cynical, cold and calculating, willing to sacrifice others if he had to even if he didn't want to. He had time-manipulation magic, though she only realized Homura had this also after observing Kiritsugu in action and comparing the two. Both used firearms as their main weapons, and both suffered through the loss of killing someone they love with their bare hands. And much like how Homura had clashed with her in their world, Kiritsugu clashed with her in this one."

He held up the other hand. "Kiritsugu, on the other hand, didn't like Sayaka's attitude very much. The idealism she held on to, even despite being tempered by her experiences in her world, clashed too much with his mindset. He saw her ideals as foolish children talk, that of a wannabe hero who knew nothing of how the world really works. Her claim of becoming a 'Knight of Justice' struck too closely to the dreams of a 'Hero of Justice' that saves everyone, the dream Kiritsugu threw away. Too much was he reminded of those shining heroes who blinded humanity to the true horrors of war with their brilliance. As such, he often ignored her when they weren't working together."

"How long were they partners?" Lambda asked.

"Three years."

Shirou made a snort of disbelief. "I'm surprised they didn't just kill each other after three weeks with what you've said."

Edgar smiled. "Like I said, it was a love-hate relationship. While their personalities clashed, they were devils on the battlefield. Sayaka's swordsmanship and healing abilities made her the perfect frontline fighter, while Kiritsugu used his firearms and time magic to watch her back, like her guardian angel. And since Sayaka was the more durable of the two thanks to her Soul Gem, she could take a hell of a lot of punishment, and she wouldn't hesitate to use herself as a meatshield for innocents."

Edgar leaned back. "Though I wouldn't say that they did get better at interacting. In fact, I'd actually say that Sayaka was Kiritsugu's best friend in OSG and vice-versa. If nothing else, they sounded like a old married couple sometimes. I remember one time that she told me about..."

...

_Sayaka cut down the last ghoul in front of her, turning just in time to watch the other two behind her get their heads blown off. She watched as Kiritsugu got closer to her, rifle smoking from his last shots._

_"Clear?" she asked him._

_He nodded. "That should have been all of them."_

_She sighed, flicking some blood off her sword. "Survivors?"_

_He shook his head. Sayaka sighed in frustration, turning her gaze to the field around them. Twenty ghouls laid about the field, at least eleven bearing death marks from her blades. However, that still left at least a dozen or so remaining, along with the Dead Apostle that turned them._

_"Well, we'd better go..." she trailed off when she saw that Kiritsugu's left arm was bleeding. "What happened to you?" she asked, worry creeping into her tone. "If you were bitten-"_

_"Just a scrape," Kiritsugu answered, though he seemed to be trying to avoid putting the gun's weight on it. "One of them cut me. Got careless."_

_She huffed. "And you're the one saying I'm reckless," she said as she cast the healing circle under him, watching as his injury healed. "And yet you're the one who got injured."_

_He didn't bother to answer. Probably would have said, "Well I'm not the superhuman one," if he had. Instead, he stiffened, lifted his rifle and fired another shot, killing one of the remaining ghouls that had just rushed out of the forest._

_Sayaka's eyes widened as she summoned four swords and hurled them, all striking their targets, but still leaving seven to attack. She rushed forward, cutting one down with her sword while just barely avoiding getting bitten by another. A quick strike spilled the ghoul's guts, then a jab straight through the eye finished the second one. The sound of gunfire from Kiritsugu's direction meant he was still alive, so she pushed her worry for him aside for now._

_She let go of the sword as another came upon her. Unable to summon a blade in time, she instead punched it as hard as she could, her enhanced strength as a Mahou Shoujo coming in handy as she managed to stagger the creature. Summoning another sword, she stabbed the creature in the heart before finishing it with a decapitation._

_That was something Anderson drilled into her head, pun not intended. Most things living and undead, no matter how powerful, usually die after losing their heads._

_She turned towards Kiritsugu, seeing him finish off the last one by smashing its face in with the butt of his rifle before shooting it down. He looked up towards her, his face twisting into one of alarm._

_She didn't even have time to react before something literally tore through her chest. It took her an extra second to realize that what had gone through her chest was an _arm_, which was currently holding something red in its grip._

_'Huh,' she thought. 'So that's what my heart looks like.'_

_Something then whizzed by her head, striking something behind her that apparently exploded, because she suddenly felt something wet paint the back and side of her head red._

_She must have blacked out after that, because when she came to, she realized that she looking up at Kiritsugu, who was currently facing away from her and holding one of her swords and a severed limb that she was certain didn't belong to her, because it had a black sleeve on it and was too long._

_"Damn it..." she heard him mutter. "not another one."_

_'Is he talking about me or the corpse?' she wondered briefly._

_"Just another person I couldn't protect..." he continued, and she swore she could almost hear a sob in his voice. "I'm so sorry Sayaka."_

_'Okay, definitely me.' she decided._

_She tried moving, and it was slow-going. Despite her body no doubt already healing, she could still feel the hole in her chest, finding it pretty hard to breath (though really it was more a reflex now) and she was certain that there was blood in her throat choking her. She could have used her magic to heal herself faster, but she had used quite a bit of it in the fights earlier as well as healing Kiritsugu's arm, and she didn't want to risk tainting her Gem any further without cleansing it._

_Some morbid part of her suddenly had the urge to see if she could stick her hand inside her chest and grab her internal organs, but she ignored it. She had to get his attention._

_'What can I say that that'll definitely get his attention?' she thought quickly, knowing that it had to be something that would get some sort of reaction out of him. Then she got an idea._

_"K...Ker...Kerry..." she managed to get out, using a shorten version of his name she had called him in the early days, but he always hated hearing her use it. Apparently, someone from his childhood called him that before, and he didn't like anyone else using it._

_Despite her voice coming out like a hiss of air, it was apparently enough, as his head snapped around and saw her lift her hand to wave at him weakly. He looked like he was about to try and cut her down, but apparently saw that her eyes were still fine, because he instead rushed to her side and knelt down beside her._

_"Y-You're alive," he muttered in shock. It was logical, he had never seen her take such a deadly injury before, so maybe he didn't think she could recover from something of that magnitude._

_"Heh... you sound... almost surprised," she muttered back, then gestured towards her bag at her hip, which had blood on it. "Grab... crystal."_

_He quickly did just that, pulling out one of the special crystals that Edgar had made for her, a blacken color rather than the normal red. Placing it next to her Soul Gem, he watched as the 'Grief Crystal' absorb the taint in her Soul Gem, leaving it shining brightly once again._

_Sayaka then cast the healing circle under herself and Kiritsugu, watching as their injuries healed up._

_"Worry about yourself..." Kiritsugu tried to say, but Sayaka cut him off._

_"Shut up..." she muttered, feeling better as the whole in her chest sealed, voice getting stronger, "You need it... just as much."_

_Kiritsugu just sighed. "That selfless attitude will get you killed someday," he told her as he looked away. "Can't be a hero all the time."_

_Sayaka could've retorted with something witty, but then she remembered what Kiritsugu had been saying but moments before when he thought she was dead. He had sounded truly heartbroken._

_"...Thanks for saving me," she finally said. "And sorry for making you worry."_

_He was silent for the longest time. Then, he finally replied. "Anytime Sayaka. No problem at all."_

_..._

Edgar stretched as he finished that tale. "Yeah, their relationship was complicated, but it eventually grew into that of an older brother and younger sister, which was funny considering that Sayaka never got any older physically due to her condition. For three years they were partners. Sayaka was liked among our members, especially Lyn, as they liked to pull pranks together. And while she never 'hit it big-time' to reach infamy among the other groups like the Association, she was still respected as a fighter."

Shirou and Lambda listened with rapt attention. For the former, he was just... amazed. He was learning about the person who had used the sword he did now, and had been his father's partner. He liked what he heard, and dearly wished he could have spoken to her personally. For the later, it was... more confusing. The more she heard about Sayaka, the more that she felt... something, kind of like something scratching on the back of her mind that was trying to come to the fore.

The memory she had almost a year ago came to mind. She had little doubt now that the person Kiritsugu had been talking to had indeed been Sayaka. But again, why did she have that memory? And what was the connection between their similar powers?

Edgar's face then grew serious. "However, that all changed 23 years ago..."

...

_I was walking down the halls of the building, carrying something important under my arm that I had to deliver to someone very quickly-_

_"Sir!"_

_'Speak of the devil,' I thought to myself at that question. Turning around, I saw Kiritsugu Emiya coming up behind me, clad in his normal clothing and looking at me calmly._

_"Hey there, Kiritsugu," I greeted him. "You're the very man I wanted to see just now."_

_"I actually have something ask you sir," he told me._

_I raised an eyebrow. "Well, what a lovely coincidence. What is it?"_

_"Do you know where Sayaka is? I can't find her around the building and she wanted to see me about something today."_

_I blinked. "Oh dear, so that's what this was about."_

_"Beg pardon?"_

_I lifted up the long package in my hands towards his face. "Apparently, she wanted to give you this, but because I sent her on an errand, she asked me to give it to you instead. Didn't know it was your birthday, by the way. I would have baked a cake."_

_He took the package slowly. "Thank you sir," he replied. "What errand did you send her on?"_

_"Oh, just to deal with something in Fuyuki City, Japan."_

_He looked confused. "Japan? Isn't that a little far for an errand?"_

_"Nothing major," I promised him. "There were just some rumors of disappearances and I thought I'd send Sayaka to check them out. Should be back within a few days, a week tops if she decides to sightsee."_

_"And you sent her alone."_

_"She's a fighter and eighteen years old mentally Kiritsugu," I reminded him. "I think she can handle herself. Have a little faith."_

_He didn't seem satisfied with that answer, but he nodded. "Fine."_

_He turned around and left, still holding the package. I called out after him, "Hope you enjoy your gift!"_

_..._

_Sayaka had one of those newly-made mobile phones on her that I told her to use once she was done or if she needed something. It was large, clunky and not very aesthetically pleasing, but it had a talk time of 30 minutes, though it needed ten hours to charge. Yet despite that, I received no call from her over the next five days, save once when she told me her plane had landed safely. It was by the third I was getting a little concerned, as I suspected that even if she was having the time of her life, she would have called at least once more to tell us about it._

_However, it was as if she had dropped off the face of the Earth. Even when I called her phone personally, I got nothing._

_By the sixth day, I was fast running out of patience and becoming more worried. I was just about ready to call Anderson and Kiritsugu into my office tell them to go to Fuyuki and see what was up when the phone in my office rang._

_"Yes?" I answered._

_"S-Sir?" came a familiar, pain-filled voice over the other end._

_I sat up straight. "Sayaka," I said quickly. "What happened? Are you alright? Why haven't you been answering me recently?"_

_"S-Sorry sir," she muttered over the line, then I realized something was wrong with her voice, and not just because it was in pain. It almost sounded like it was... echoing, as if another voice was speaking alongside it. "I-I screwed up... found what was... causing the disappearances and took care of it but... I may have used a little too much... magic."_

_"Don't you have a crystal?" I asked her. She always carried a crystal on her, no matter where she went._

_"Got into... another fight before I could use it..." she gasped. "Got cocky... old geezer... damn worms... so many teeth... killed him... but... too late... lost crystal... three days ago..."_

_I could feel my gut twist, my mind slowing down as it processed what was being said, but I couldn't say anything._

_"Three... days... all I could hold out..." she continued, her voice getting quieter more and more. "I... can't... hold it back any longer... took everything I had... to even find this thing and... dial this number right... can't even bring myself... to break it... what a coward... it's so black..."_

_"Sayaka, stay with me," I ordered her over the phone, already standing up. "I'll be there as soon as I can with Kiritsugu and some others. Just hold on."_

_"...Kiritsugu..." her voice suddenly seemed to gain strength. "Oh yeah... did Kerry... get my present?"_

_"...Yeah," I told her, already summoning my armor and getting my sword ready. "And he really did appreciate it."_

_"Heh... I'm glad... thanks, Ed..."_

_The line went dead._

_..._

_That night, myself, Kiritsugu, Anderson, and Starrk (who had gone on Lyn's demand, as she and Sayaka had a bit of a 'friendship-through-pranking' thing going on) arrived in Fuyuki City, ready for anything. However, of the four of us, only I knew for certain what had happened to her, while Anderson had the biggest inkling._

_Starrk and I used our abilities to try and find Sayaka's spiritual pressure, and we finally got lucky when we were pointed towards the harbor. However, her spiritual pressure was different, almost... corrupted, for lack of a better term._

_We also sensed another one there too, unfamiliar to all but myself._

_When we arrived, at first we were greeted to the sight of an empty dock with shipping containers everywhere and calm water. Then that peace was shattered by a voice._

_"Well, this is an interesting development."_

_We turned as one towards the shadow of a container, where we watched as an old man walked towards us, not a hair on his head and covered in wrinkles. However, his eyes simply burned with malevolence._

_"It appears as if I wasn't the only one drawn here by this strange happening," he continued, sizing each of us up in turn. "Though I doubt any of you are here to simply observe."_

_"What are you doing here, Zouken Matou?" I asked without preamble, for I knew who this man was and what he could do. "Don't you have other things that capture your attention?"_

_"I suppose so, but things have been rather boring around here for the past 51 years," he replied with a smirk. "A change of pace does an old man good sometimes."_

_"Starrk, watch him," I commanded. "If he tries to interfere, blow him up."_

_"Don't trust me, warrior?" he sounded almost hurt. "Your words pierce my heart like an icicle."_

_'Didn't even know you had one, but it would be blacker than night if you did,' I thought, but ignored him as Starrk took a position opposite of Zouken, ready to carry out my command as needed._

_Anderson and Kiritsugu gave him a wary glance, but followed my lead until we reached the end of the docks. There, we found something huddled in some sort of cloak on the stone near the water's edge._

_I removed the cloak slowly, and the three of us gasped slightly at the sight._

_"Sayaka," I heard Kiritsugu muttered. Laying there, the blue-haired girl, in her school uniform, had a small smile on her face as her left hand clutched the phone from earlier, her eyes shut as if in a peaceful sleep._

_For a moment, I allowed myself the foolish hope that she had sacrificed herself to ensure no one would have to suffer._

_That hope died when I was aware of something coming up from the water._

_"Get back!" I yelled, drawing my sword as I grabbed Sayaka's body before it could be caught up in whatever happened next._

_The water in front of us exploded as something came out of the deep._

_Suddenly, I think I knew why Sayaka had come here. Perhaps she thought if she get the Soul Gem as far away as possible from land, the Witch wouldn't come after the innocent people here, and as such would die off in the water. So she hurled it into the sea after she made her call, which broke its connection to her body and why she looked so peaceful now._

_Unfortunately, it looks like it didn't quite work._

_Had to say, why on Earth the Witch hadn't died off in the water made some sense, if its appearance meant anything. The top half was a medieval suit of armor carrying a giant version of Sayaka's normal sword. It wore a cape with a tall, heart-shaped collar that was tied with a red ribbon around its neck. The helmet was skull-like and disturbing, with several miniature swords fused together into a metallic representation of a high hairdo. The lower half was that of a large fish's tail, covered in scales of blue, black, and maroon and two fins that flared in a rainbow of the colors of fire. Basically, a giant mermaid knight._

_A part of me was wondering why on Earth the Witch was here in the physical plane when it should have erected a barrier, but I didn't really care. Perhaps her arrival to this world had changed something, or maybe the first crystal her Soul Gem absorbed actually affected her in more ways than one, I'm not certain._

_There was no time for wondering though, nor was the time for regrets. The thing before us that was once Sayaka Miki lifted its blade and roared out a challenge. Above its head, what appeared to be spiked wheels with swords sticking out of them came raining down on us, and two giant swords identical to the one in its grip swung down alongside it, one for each of us._

_I was vaguely aware of some sort of haunting orchestral playing a disturbing melody somewhere in the background, but I didn't pay attention as we met the titan's charge._

_..._

"...I won't say how that battle went," Edgar told his listeners, who visibly deflated at that. "out of respect for Kiritsugu, who no doubt suffered more in it than either myself or Anderson did. Suffice to say, we won... though even to this day I wonder if victory was worth it."

"What about Zouken?" Shirou asked.

"He was riddled with Balas before being finished with a Cero from Starrk," Edgar replied briskly, "Apparently, turns out that it was Zouken that indirectly led to Sayaka's transformation into a Witch. But even then, that didn't kill him." He held up a hand. "And before you say anything, let it be known that we eventually did kill him for real; Starrk and Anderson made sure of it."

"...What happened to Kiritsugu?" Lambda asked.

Edgar sighed, his tone filled with regret. "When we got back... words were exchanged, insults thrown, punches delivered, and it ended with Kiritsugu turning in his resignation. He and I would never speak again for the next 15 years, not until right at the end of the Great Fire of Fuyuki when Shirou was adopted. He also left Sayaka's last gift behind. I guess he couldn't bear to keep a reminder of a friend whom he killed with his bare hands personally."

Shirou looked down at his cutlass. "And that means..."

"What you hold is Kiritsugu's sword, given to him by Sayaka. Your inheritance, if you'd like to call it that."

The room was very quiet, then Edgar stood up. "This is a bit of a bombshell, I know, but let me show you something Shirou, before you go. Lambda, you can leave if you want to."

"...Very well," she replied, nodding to him once more before giving Shirou a glance and leaving, her mind filled with different thoughts and half-baked theories. She thought back to several things that seemed strangely familiar to her: The blade that Shirou carried around, the fact she had skill in using a sword with her own two hands, the healing magic, and then thought about the flash she had about Kiritsugu. She then thought about the flashes with Kokonoe, Terumi, Tager, and Hakumen.

'...Who am I really?' she wondered briefly to herself, then shook her head after a few seconds. 'No, it doesn't matter. Who I was or even _were _doesn't matter. I am not Sayaka Miki nor the Murakumo Unit No. 11, no matter what others might say. I am my own person.'

'...I am Lambda-11, Noel Valenzuela. That will not change, no matter what.'

...

The walk through the building was very quiet. Shirou and Edgar were silent throughout it all, only speaking to greet those they passed on their journey, each wrapped in their own thoughts.

Finally though, they made it to the basement. Edgar walked right up to the wall in front of them and put his hand upon it. To the surprise of Shirou, the wall glowed a bright blue before suddenly winking out of existence, revealing a passageway.

"Follow me," was all Edgar said.

And so he did. It took about a minute or so, but they finally came to a stop in front of another door. Edgar turned to look at Shirou. "What you are about to see in here is kind of secret. I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about it."

He nodded, and Edgar opened the door. What they saw actually made them blink for a few seconds, dumbfounded.

The entire room looked like it was completely carved out of crystal, light reflecting off all of it to create a sort of glare that made it somewhat hard to see, though their eyes managed to adjust rather quickly. Images seemed to flicker on the crystals at random intervals, always different or repeating at weird times. However, what got his attention was what was in the center.

There, trapped in crystal like a fly in amber, was the form of Sayaka Miki, seemingly sleeping within with a smile upon her face. In front of her in the crystal's surface was a black jewel surrounded by a silver-gray casing, with a crescent moon on the front of it.

"Surprising?"

He turned to look at Edgar, who was staring at the entombed girl with a melancholy face. "Within that crystal, her body remains preserved as I try to figure out a way to bring her back. The crystal you see there is her Grief Seed, which is what was left of her Witch after we defeated her. I've been trying to figure out a way to turn her Seed back into Soul Gem and reconnect it with her body."

"But I thought she was dead..." Shirou said confusedly as he glanced between them.

"Normally I would say yes, but I can't help but feel as if a part of her is still here with us, watching over us," Edgar replied. "This place seems to change everytime I come in, as if it was controlled by her thoughts. Sometimes I hear violin music being played, other times guitar. I sometimes see images of her fighting alongside her old friends, and other times with Kiritsugu. Time also flows differently here, making days on the outside seem like mere minutes on the inside."

"Whenever a member of OSG that came from another world dies, their soul will return to the afterlife of their world, due to the link that kept them to this one being severed and Akasha won't accept them due to being foreign existences. However, I do know for a fact that as long as her Grief Seed, being nothing but a transformed Soul Gem, remains, there's still a chance she can be brought back to life as a Witch; I'm simply trying to find a way to turn back to normal, or at least a sane individual. I owe her at least that much."

"...Why did you want to show me all of this and not Lambda?" Shirou asked at last.

Edgar turned to them both. "Because I wanted you to understand what could very well happen to you on your quest to become a Hero of Justice by showing you what did happen to one that followed a similar path. And I'm not just talking about Sayaka. Kiritsugu once believed in these ideals as well, and while he had more or less discarded them by the time he joined OSG, Sayaka's death destroyed any hope of him ever truly believing that true heroes exist and made him adopt an even colder attitude that prevented him from ever truly getting close to anyone ever again." He then shrugged. "Lambda I only wanted to tell the story about because she reminds me way too much of Sayaka for it to be coincidence, but not enough that I'd want her to see the body."

"You think there's a connection."

"Maybe I'm just paranoid," Edgar replied. "But maybe there's more to it than meets the eye. She has the same powers and a similar fighting style, which I could chalk up to coincidence, but not having the same healing magic, circle, and melody. For all I know, perhaps she inherited Sayaka's spirit, still wandering around and eventually merged with her comatose form that first night we found her. But more to the point of why we're down here, Shirou... I have something to ask you."

Edgar turned to face Shirou. "Now that you know about the previous holder of that blade and what ultimately happened to her, are you still willing to follow the dream of being a hero who saves everyone? Any second thoughts? She thought of something similar, after all."

Shirou was silent, then glanced down at the sword he carried. The one that had belonged to his foster father before he left it behind, a gift from the girl in the crystal. Once again, the words of that night came to him.

_"You can only be a hero for so long, and when you become an adult, you start to realize that it becomes harder to call yourself one..."_

Was that why he hadn't taken it with him? Because it held too many painful memories of a more innocent time when he believed in heroes? The sacrifices one must make to save others and the pain of being unable to protect those closest to you to defend those nameless innocents? The pain of killing a friend to save the many?

"There are many types of heroes," Edgar reminded him. "Some help others simply because they can; others made it their duty to save as many as possible, or allowing the few to die to save the many. Others seek redemption by saving lives despite calling themselves evil due to past deeds; and some heroes put themselves in life-or-death situations for the sake of their loved ones. Sometimes saving the few may result in saving everyone's lives; one person can make a bigger difference than an entire army. Not everyone weighs life the same after all."

'...If I had to choose between sacrificing Lambda, Maka, Soul, Taiga, Maiya, Rin, or Sakura or that of a few hundred people I didn't know...' Shirou thought to himself after hearing that, 'could I choose the many over my friend? Could I be my father?'

And with that question, the iron-clad resolve he had held on to for some long cracked slightly.

"...I don't know," he finally said. "I wanted to be a hero my whole life, to be someone who will try and help everyone in need and save others... but after everything you've told me... I'm not completely certain anymore."

"So you're giving up on that dream?"

"No," Shirou replied resolutely. "To give it up would mean betraying everything I've learned and been taught, an insult to the person whose blade I now hold. I'll still save anyone who needs help if I meet them... but I probably won't be traveling around the world looking for trouble and helping everyone in need that I'll come across."

"So instead of going out looking for trouble, you'll wait until it comes to you, huh?" Edgar asked, then nodded. "...That's not a half-bad idea, but what'll do in the meantime? Saving others doesn't put food on the table."

Shirou paused for a moment as he thought about it. "...Maybe I'll open a restaurant? I do love cooking after all."

Edgar blinked, then started chuckling. "Did you hear that, Sayaka?" he asked the crystal, "We have ourselves a culinary genius right here: Shirou Emiya, the Hero Chef! The terror of the battlefield and kitchen, he'll kick your ass while serving up a side of stew!"

Shirou just stared at him for a long moment, then started to grin as the mental image presented itself (though his version had himself kicking Edgar's ass).

Soon, the room was filled with the laughter of two guys.

Had they been listening very closely though, they might have caught wind of another voice laughing alongside them. A young girl's voice, to be exact.

* * *

**And so my readers, ends the last chapter of Fate: OSG. From this point onwards, the remaining time between here and the Fifth Holy Grail War can be summed up as Shirou training and getting more badass alongside Lambda-11, becoming prepared (if unknowingly) for the war around the corner, and Maka and Soul getting married (Don't worry, that will eventually be referenced. After all, everyone will want to see a certain Servant's reaction to this...).**

**I know this might seem kind of sudden, but I've hit all the points I've wanted to hit in the story, and as of the time I write this, my summer's about over. I want at least a few days to rest without working after all. And as of the point I publish this, I'm going back to school tomorrow, so I suppose this is the perfect way to end my summer.**

**And speaking of the Fifth War, guess what's coming next? That's right, finally, we get to see action and Servants fighting to the death once again. Even now, I'm putting the finishing touches on my Servant line-up, I'm writing the prologue chapters, and I think you guys are gonna like what you see next. **

**Until next time, my readers! On to the Fifth War!**


End file.
